Sector · Controlled-environment agriculture

Precision water, indoors.

Greenhouse, indoor and vertical farms run on tight water and energy budgets. WaterPearls are a pH-neutral, inert, reusable substrate for hydroponic, aeroponic and container systems, holding moisture at the root zone so every litre and every kilowatt goes further.

Watermelon vines growing from a WaterPearls-filled channel in an RHST greenhouse trial
In the system

A pH-neutral, inert substrate, from gutter systems to NFT to vertical farming.

Up to 25–50% of irrigation water is lost to evaporation, per the UN FAO

−30–50%
Water input reduced
+5–15%
Yield increase
Long service life
Reusable substrate
The problem

Tight margins on water, energy and humidity.

Controlled-environment growers control everything except the cost of doing it. Water and the energy to move, cool and dehumidify it are among the largest operating lines, and conventional media can swell, break down, hold disease, or need replacing each cycle.

  • Water and dehumidification drive a large share of operating cost
  • Many growing media are single-use and end up as waste
  • Uneven root-zone moisture stresses dense plantings
WaterPearls filling hydroponic growing channels in a controlled-environment system, RHST trial
How WaterPearls help

Place it once, then leave it.

1

Replace the medium

WaterPearls replace the growing medium in mesh pots for seed germination or propagation. They are pH-neutral and inert, with nothing to leach into the nutrient line.

2

Nursery to vegetation

A reusable substrate that carries a plant from nursery through to vegetation stage, including bare-root production.

3

Washed & reused

WaterPearls can be washed and reused across many seasons, with no mildew or mould and far less spent medium to dispose of.

The outcome

Healthier crops, lower energy bills.

  • Cut irrigation water 30–50% against a measured baseline
  • Lift yield ~5–15% in trials by keeping more moisture available
  • Reduce energy costs for irrigation and dehumidification
  • Increase plant population density
  • Ease humidity control, with no mildew or mould
  • Facilitate the transition to organic production
Hydroponic & aeroponic detail
WaterPearls beads
Greenhouse, indoor & vertical

Request a pilot in your facility.

Tell us your system and crop, and we'll scope a pilot and model the water and energy savings.