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Waterstore

Waterstore is a unique water retention product, which is able to store water and water soluble fertilizers in the soil until they are needed for plant uptake. The water / fertilizer mix is stored in the Waterstore granules and is released into the soil by a process of osmosis when the soil dries out, ensuring an uninterrupted supply of water and nutrients to the root system of the plant.

Waterstore is inert and non toxic, it is therefore environmental friendly and reduces water use as well. The granules of Waterstore have an effective life span of 3 - 5 years in the soil. Waterstore has an advantage over competitive products as it can recharge itself with water extremely quickly, even after a long period of total dryness. Adding Waterstore has no effect on the pH of the soil.

Waterstore has several positive effects on the soil into which it is added, these include:

• Increased porosity and aeration characteristics as the product swells and contracts
• Reduction in erosion potential (up to 44%) as the product particles behave like colloids in the soil
• Reduction in soil compaction due to the active nature of the product (cycles of expansion and shrinkage)
• Increase in water penetration into the soil due to increased permeability (reduced runoff, increased infiltration)
• Significant increase in water storage capacity of the soil
• Increase in capacity to retain fertilizers applied to the soil

Agriculture

Waterstore promotes quality and yield of agricultural crops. Under dry conditions crop yields are limited by poor stand establishment and low plant density. This is especially true in sandy soils, since the loss of water and nutrients through deep percolation below the root zone is a frequently occurring problem.

Management of the soil water movement by applying Waterstore leads to significant improvement in the soil matrix as well as soil water potential. The subsequent swelling of the gel particles results in a linear decrease in the drainage pores and a linear increase in the water-holding pores in the treated soil.

The ability of waterstore to absorb water increases the soil moisture potential and, thus, restricts water loss by evaporation and deep-water percolation. Increasing soil moisture content to a certain limit is known to promote seed germination, seedling population, plant growth and development, nutrient uptake and crop yields.

Horticulture

Horticulture substrates with Waterstore extend the market life of container plants. Most bedding plants are grown in containers that make them very susceptible to water stress. The problem is compounded by retail marketplace conditions where watering frequently is often a function of managerial convenience rather than plant demand.

Waterstore is commercially used as an amendment to modify the water status of growth media.

Beneficial effects of Waterstore are: increased water-holding capacity, improved aeration and drainage, better root development, extended shelf-life of container grown plants, reduced watering requirements, improved growth and flowering. Avoidance of water stress and protection against possible plant injury is of significant value to growers and retailers.

Landscaping

Intensive landscaping maintenance is very costly. Cost data show that one third of the total project costs are dedicated to plant maintenance, including replanting in case of plant losses, labour expended on watering and water itself.

By using Waterstore, maintenance costs are significantly reduced. Due to the increased water-holding capacity of root-zones, especially those high in sand, Waterstore promotes better establishment and survival of landscape plants, assisting in buffering the irregularity of seasonal rainfall.

Forestry

Forestry plantations with Waterstore improve transplant survival. Insufficient water is considered one of the major factors limiting growth and survival during the establishment of commercially planted transplants. Waterstore is used in forestry plantations to increase the survival of newly transplanted seedlings. The water volumes used at planting are significantly reduced without negatively affecting current silvicultural standards.

By applying Waterstore the planting season can be extended to include the dry months, previously unattainable due to risk of unacceptably high mortality.

It can be seen that soil characteristics are significantly improved as a result of the addition of Waterstore, making them more productive and suitable for optimal plant growth.

View the following for more information:

• Complete Information Brochure (543KB)
• EC-Safety Data Sheet (25.8KB)

For more information about the products offered by Tempest Fire please contact:

Tempest Fire

Tel: 011 917 3208
Email: info@tempestfire.co.za

Physical Address: 57 Paul Smit Street, Boksburg, 1459
Postal Address: P.O. Box 25460, Eastrand, 1462

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