DeserTom™
DeserTom™ is a natural system used to maintain moisture in the soil. It is a liquid concentrate that is diluted with water and sprayed onto the ground, creating a semi permeable membrane upon contact with the soil. The membrane retains water and inhibits evaporation, keeping plants green and healthy with typical savings in water of 50% or more.
DeserTom™ is a liquid concentrate of ferrous oxide that interacts with the oxide silica present in the soil, forming an evaporation-suppressing water-retention bond in the soil called a semi-permeable membrane. DeserTom™ is non-phytotoxic, is biodegradable and becomes plant food over a life time of one to three years.
Manufactured and distributed by TOMAGRO INTERNATIONAL B.V., DeserTom™ is part of a line of innovative products for plant care and cultivation.
» What Is DeserTom™?
» What Does it Do ?
» For Which Crops ?
» Results
» Technical Data Sheet
» Classification
» Description
» Formulations
» Application
» Duration
» Procedures for Application
» Observing the Performance
What is DeserTom™?
DeserTom™ is a liquid concentrate of ferrous oxide complex that when diluted with water and sprayed onto the ground, forms an evaporation suppressing water retention bond in the soil, constructing a semi-permeable membrane (5 to 7 centimeters below the ground surface) This semi-permeable membrane reduces the evaporation of water in the soil allowing the moisture vapor to remain where it’s needed, at the plant’s roots.
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What Does it Do?
DeserTom™ not only substitutes the most notable techniques of water storage such as polymers, it also functions in a natural way with the existing elements in the soil, producing noteworthy results in the cultivation of plants and crops
The action produced by DeserTom™ reduces the amount of water and frequency of irrigation by raising the humidity in the soil. The roots obtain a steady source of moisture by remaining in a constant state of dampness, which eliminates stress to the plant The result is healthier plants and increased crop yield
For Which Crops?
DeserTom™ is ideal for all crops:
- Cereals wheat, corn, grain
- Industrial crops such as sugar beets, sunflowers, soy, tobacco
- Vegetable crops tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, egg-plant, zucchini, squash
- Foragers lawns, medicinal herbs
- Private and public gardens
- Golf courses and parks
- Potted plants and flowers for decorative purposes
- Greenhouse production
Results
Tests conducted in both laboratories and numerous field trials have proven unequivocally that DeserTom™ offers a reduction of stress to plants caused by lack of water and improves crop yield and plant health
DeserTom™ Technical Data Sheet
Classification
EEC FERTILISER – Iron-based fertilizing solution.
Iron (Fe) soluble in water (from sulphate)… 2%
In accordance with Regulation 2078, DESERTOM™ is not to be considered a drug of plant origin.
Description
DESERTOM™ is an absolute innovation in agricultural science:
When sprayed on the ground, it allows for the formation of a semi-permeable membrane that slows down natural evaporation. This membrane is formed by the reaction of the iron oxide complexes in the product with the silica in the soil. Once uniformly applied, DESERTOM™ is activated and penetrates the earth after plentiful watering or a fall of rain of about 20mm. After such a process, DESERTOM™ will start to retain the humidity within the soil thus making a greater amount of water available to the roots.
Should no rain fall, DESERTOM™ remains inactive on the surface of the soil for a long period of time without dispersing. When applied correctly, DESERTOM™ permits a decrease in evaporation of up to 50%, considerable diminishing of plant stress due to lack of water and approximately 30% saving of water, without reducing yields.
In fact, the diminishing of stress along with greater availability of water have shown considerable increases in the yields of all crops.
Formulations
DESERTOM™ is available in several formulations together with special mixtures in order to optimise results in the fields of single crops, even under conditions of limited stress due to lack of water.
Application
DESERTOM™ must be diluted with a sufficient amount of water to irrigate the desired area (minimum ratio 1:20 , maximum ratio 1:200). After application of the product, it is necessary to water abundantly or wait for rain (at least 20mm) in order to activate the formation of the semi-permeable membrane. DESERTOM™ may be applied together with other, traditional, treatments (manure, weed-killers or anti-parasitic treatments).
IMPORTANT: The soil must have some retained moisture; do not apply during hot seasons or on dry or un-irrigated soil. If the soil is dry, irrigate plentifully before applying the treatment. If the soil cannot be irrigated, apply the treatment during the winter/spring in order to make the most of the natural rainfall.
Cereals
• Wheat
Dose 7-10 litres per hectare.
Timing In the autumn. (After sowing and before sprouting, with or without weed-killer).
Note The product promotes sprouting and helps to prevent freezing, except when the temperature is excessively low (-3°C).
• Soy Beans
Dose 7-10 litres per hectare.
Timing After sowing.
Note Soy beans require a great deal of water, especially at the beginning of the growing cycle.
• Maize and Beetroot
Dose 10 litres per hectare.
Timing After sowing and before sprouting, with or without weed-killer.
Note If the fields are weeded, apply half the dose after sowing and the remainder after weeding. If weeding takes place when the plant has already developed, wait after weeding for irrigation or rainfall to recompose the semi-permeable membrane as much as possible.
Vegetables, Orchards & Vineyards
• Alfalfa (hay or similar animal fodder) and grassy parkland
Dose 10 litres per hectare.
Timing At the end of the winter, when vegetation is dormant or after the first spring cutting.
Note In the case of new crops, apply the product after sowing and before sprouting; DeserTom’s membrane improves germination considerably, making it uniform, thus giving an excellent “lawn” effect.
• Potatoes
Dose 10 litres per hectare.
Timing After planting.
Note As the plants grow, they break through the membrane
but its components tend to reconstitute it.
• Vegetables
Dose 10 litres per hectare.
Timing After sowing or transplanting.
• Orchards & Vineyards
Dose 10 litres per hectare.
Timing At the end of the winter, with vegetation dormant.
Note In the first year it is advisable to apply DESERTOM™ to the entire surface but in the succeeding years it is sufficient to apply it only along the rows or within the irrigation channels.
Greenhouse Formulation
• Flowers
Dose 20 litres per hectare.
Timing After sowing or transplanting.
• Cultivation in greenhouses
Dose 20 litres per hectare
Timing After sowing or transplanting
Note Numerous experiments have shown considerable increases in yields. Evaporation is reduced and thus the negative effects of condensation inside the greenhouses are also considerably diminished.
Ornamental lawns, gardens, golf courses and playing fields
Dose 40 litres per hectare.
Timing At the end of winter, when vegetation is dormant or after the first spring mowing.
Note The treatment considerably improves the growth and compactness of the grass and lawns. By maintaining a constant level of moisture, the semi-permeable membrane allows for the minimisation of stress due to lack of water and prevents yellowing during the summer months when water is scarce.
Duration
The product lasts one year. If the land is worked in depth (ploughed) , the membrane will be broken up but it will remain present until its complete degradation after 3 years. The second and third treatments, therefore, will increase the efficacy of the results. After 3 years of applications, the dose may be halved.
Procedures for Application
Apply DESERTOM™ uniformly over the whole surface of the soil by watering, using the appliances employed with ordinary weed-killers or other, similar products. DESERTOM™ is miscible with other known treatments. It is advisable to apply DESERTOM™ after sowing, in conjunction with weed-killing treatment and before sprouting. Experiments carried out applying the product by means of spraying mechanisms have shown excellent results.
Emergency treatment can be applied after sprouting, as DESERTOM™ is non toxic for plants. However, in this case, the maximum effect will not be achieved, as part of the product will remain on the plants until they are water sprayed or until rain falls, after which the rest of the solution will reach the soil.
Observing the Performance
In order to verify the efficacy of the product in terms of productivity, it is advisable to weigh the produce at the end of the harvest as improved productivity is not always visible to the naked eye.
Another good and advantageous way to test DESERTOM™ is to reduce the irrigation cycles and then observe plant stress; it will thus be noticeable that the use of DESERTOM™ can reduce the need for watering, without damaging the plants and without diminishing crop yields.
DESERTOM™ works only after having been activated by water. There must be some residual moisture in the deep layers of the earth otherwise there is no evaporation to be retained and no results will be witnessed. Results of the product can be identified in the growth cycle of plants by careful observation of growth and yield. In this way, test sites can be created in areas that have always shown comparable productivity in the history of the farm. It will then be possible to evaluate the increase in production through comparing the various test sites.
PLEASE NOTE
Grassy parklands must be watered abundantly after treatment to enable the product to filter through the thick grass and the high density of the root formation. This will allow the solution to reach the earth and react with the silica within it, thus allowing for the formation of the semi-permeable membrane. In any event, application should take place after mowing, when there is the least possible amount of vegetation.
For further details and a full range of our products, please contact us.
