Roots Sustainable Agricultural Technologies Limited (ASX: ROO) has received an A$87,000 signed order of its RZTO technology combined with its newly developed heat exchange stub from Israeli cannabis producer Univo, to control soil temperatures in pots and grow bags.
Under the agreement, Roots will utilise its patent-protected heat exchange stub to install its RZTO technology into thousands of cannabis pots at Univo’s Israeli growing facilities. Installation is due to commence in October and will be completed in December 2019.
Designed to be inserted into the tops of pots and grow bags, the stub significantly lowers the installation and maintenance costs of Roots’ Root Zone Temperature Optimisation technology. The stub enables the mobility of pots and grow bags during and between growing cycles while chains of stubs with insulated pipes in-between can be used for row installations.
Temperature-controlled water enters the T-shaped stub from the side, flows down the vertical shaft exchanging heat with the substrate, before exiting the stub on the other side.
The stub will be an additional source of post-sale revenue offered alongside monitoring, control and ag advisory services.
The sale follows an in-house pilot at Roots’ research hub in Israel, where the stub effectively maintained soil temperatures in pots at optimal ranges despite extreme air temperatures.
Roots’ CEO, Dr. Sharon Devir said, “Roots’ heat exchange stub is ideal for high-value greenhouse crops such as cannabis, where optimal soil temperatures have been proven to increase crop quality and yield year-round.
“The stub enables producers to stabilise soil temperatures to mitigate the effects of external weather conditions, such as extreme heat or cold, without requiring additional heating and cooling systems within the greenhouse or nursery.
This sale to a medicinal cannabis producer is a testament to the effectiveness of our RZTO technology within pots and grow bags. Suitable for all crops grown in pots or grow bags, we believe our heat exchange stub will open up new markets and opportunities for our two-in-one heating and cooling technology.”