Over the past 10 years, Indiana-based TerraManus Technologies LLC has developed and patented its TerraStar wheel technology. The wheel forms weirs the soil in such a way as to “consolidate the soil without causing compaction”, according to company CFO Gregg Whittaker PhD. This increases the soil surface area, allowing the soil to hold and control flowing water and enabling the water to penetrate the soil. Additionally, the increased soil surface area leads to significant warming of the soil, allowing for earlier crop planting and potentially double-cropping in certain cooler regions. Moreover, TerraStar usage cuts input costs while significantly increasing yields and enhancing plant health. The wheel can be attached to virtually any existing agri/horticultural machine or can be placed on a specially designed implement.

The TerraStar

TerraManus has packaged its technology in two ways:

1.      A transformative technology that can be readily integrated with the existing planting and tillage practices of fully-mechanized, developed-world farmers.

2.      A revolutionary, cost-effective technology for developing-world farmers whose only significant resource is human-labor.

The technology has enormous benefits; independent field tests in both Central Mexico and the U.S. have demonstrated that the TerraStar wheel can significantly increase yields – soybean, corn and tomato yields (to name only a few) were 35%, 12% and 42% higher respectively when compared to control plots.

Furthermore, costs to farmers are significantly reduced; the water-retaining imprints in the soil mean there is less run-off which naturally reduces the amount of fertilizer and chemical run-off too. Field tests have shown that farmers can conserve 3,348 gallons of water per acre per year as well as reduce nitrogen costs by 16.7%. These cost benefits also lead to associated environmental benefits – a 50% reduction in nitrate pollution in ground water and up to 90% less soil erosion.

Control plot on left and TerraStar prototype plot on right

TerraManus’ technology has generated a great deal of interest. Firstly, one of the ag industry’s largest companies recently approached the company and is testing the TerraStar technology using a variety of seeds. There is interest in integrating the TerraStar within a twin-row planter, which plants twice the number of plants per acre as traditional planting. This cropping approach requires soil with enough water and other nutrients to accommodate the increased number of plants – hence the interest in TerraManus.

The company was also invited by the U.S. Department of Commerce to participate in its prestigious Gold Key Program – a program which promotes U.S. businesses abroad. Gregg said that the program has been very useful in conducting market studies, identifying potential users and partners as well as marketing their product in Africa and China.

China and Africa are set to become much more important players in the agriculture industry in the face of rapidly rising food demand. (See 2 recent Cleantech Group reports: Preparing for a Second Green Revolution and The rise of home-grown cleantech innovation in China)

Aside from developing and testing the technology, TerraManus has also already determined its manufacturing process, a distribution channel and the market potential for its product. It is now looking for strategic partners to help drive market demand for its product and position the company for acquisition within 12-24 months.

In order to get to that stage, the company will require $900k of external investment which it will use to fund its growth in China and Africa, build implements and conduct field tests across the globe, and for operating expenses from now until March 2012. More details are available to prospect investors upon request to the company.

With many new funds across the globe increasing their interest in sustainable agriculture, TerraManus is definitely a company in the space to watch.