Agriculture · Application

Grape vines

In vineyards, WaterPearls hold soil moisture between the rows and cut irrigation demand.

In the field

WaterPearls between the vineyard rows hold soil moisture and cut evaporation loss.

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

Low maintenance

How it works

Place it once, then leave it.

Inserted in mats

Thousands of WaterPearls are inserted in mats.

Laid on the ground

Mats are laid on the ground over or under irrigation lines and secured with pegs.

Walk-on ready

Workers can walk on them with ease.

Performance

Precision moisture, between the rows.

Cut irrigation water 30–50% vs a measured baseline
Lift yield ~5–15% in trials by keeping more moisture available at the root zone
Reduce nutrient input by keeping soil at optimal moisture level
Reduce herbicide use and crop-cover upkeep with an air- and water-permeable cover
Stretch limited irrigation further on water-constrained land

Grape vines at an RHST arid-climate field trial

Benefits

A long-term asset for the vineyard.

Facilitate transition to organic
Low maintenance across the asset's life
Reduce water-pumping costs on irrigated vineyards
Improved soil health and biota
Improved resilience to climate change and extreme weather events

Freshly harvested grapes held in cupped hands

Porto Protocol

Featured in “Saving Every Drop”.

WaterPearls is featured as a vineyard water solution in Saving Every Drop: Global Insights & Solutions in Wine, from the Porto Protocol community. It includes a vineyard case study first implemented in 2022, reporting groundwater field capacity raised from 16% to 63% under full leaf-area coverage.