TerraCottem Soil Conditioner

TerraCottem Soil Conditioning Technology

TerraCottem soil conditioners are a proprietary mixture of more than twenty components each from different groups all assisting in the plant growth processes in a synergetic way.

The growth precursors play a very important role in the initial growth phase of the plant. They activate root cell elongation and differentiation, and promote leaf development and biomass production.  In addition, roots are encouraged to grow more rapidly to depths where more water is present.

The cross-linked hydroabsorbent polymers absorb and store water that is normally lost to evaporation and leaching, reducing the volume and frequency of necessary irrigation by up to 50%.  This water is then kept at the disposal of the plant that accesses the stored water on demand through its root hairs, keeping the water in the root zone for a longer period of time.

The specially selected fertilizers provide balanced nutrition to the plants based upon macro and microelements.

TerraCottem’s carrier materials are selected for their chemo-physical properties (CEC, WRC, etc.) and their characteristics which allow homogeneous distribution of all components.

Unique Technology

• Increase water retention capacity of soils and growing media.
• Reduce water requirements by up to 50%.
• Healthier plants and increased yields.
• Increased survival rate.
• Higher resistance to drought stress and diseases.
• Increase efficiency of fertilizers.
• Stronger and deeper root development.
• Stronger faster plant establishment.

From a scientific point of view, Terracottem works because it uses two main mechanisms to encourage root development – polymers and root growth precursors. The polymers are much like clay minerals (for example, vermiculite), and are a little like water-holding crystals, except that TerraCottems hydro-absorbent co-polymers have been carefully selected and well researched. This means that instead of just one polymer with a narrow water-holding and water-releasing ability, there is a group of them providing the same function over a wide range, for years. To put it roughly, more water can be stored and released under a broader variety of conditions.

A precursor is a chemical compound which leads to another. The precursors found in TerraCottem do exactly this, and for a very good reason. If you put growth hormones into soil, they rapidly biodegrade. But if you put precursors into the root zone, the plants get a kick-start by synthesising their own growth hormones. And this conducive environment – for optimum cell division and elongation – stays like this for 12 months.

Then there is a nicely varied collection of plant nutrients – soluble mineral fertilisers, in a format suited to the early growth phase of a plant; slow-release fertilisers, designed to offer a constant source of food over many months; and synthesised organic fertilisers which focus on the soil, stimulating microbiological activity and general soil health. Add this all together and the result is fast and furious root establishment. This means greater accessibility to water, fewer losses, and, given the reciprocal dynamic between roots and canopy, noticeably vigorous growth. In the longer term, the soil conditioning power of TerraCottem means that plantings are buffered from stress.

Terracottem (soil conditioner) is well known to be successful in the drier areas of the world with regards to enhancing tree and root growth, while using less water (up to 50%), in tree crops but also vegetable crops. Trial studies show that it is excellent in increasing crop yields, increased surviving ratios of young trees, stronger and deeper root development, increased soil microbial development, and improve tree and crop growth and survival in dry, saline and marginal conditions. All of the above-mentioned therefore increases the tree and crop resistance to drought and disease stress. The above-mentioned was tested and trialled with the rehabilitation of young trees in the dry parts of Australia and the Sahel area of Africa.