Cool Planet announces successful trials for engineered biocarbon

Drew Jackson, segment leader for production agriculture at Cool Planet, says Cool Terra products help to improve the soil by creating an effective habitat for the growth of beneficial microbes and enhancing root development in plants. The stable, porous properties of the material can also improve water retention and hold nutrients in the root zone for longer periods of time, while sequestering fixed carbon in the soil.

“Independent researchers conducted more than 50 field trials in 2016 with consistent, positive results,” said Jackson. “In the large majority of trials we’re seeing yield increases that could create a significant return on investment for the grower in a single season.”

Field trials conducted in 2016 by third-party researchers and universities included a variety of fruit, vegetable and commodity crops grown under different soil and input conditions. Confidence in the trial results led Cool Planet and its agricultural distribution partners to launch commercial sales in 2017 to growers of five crops; lettuce, strawberries, tomatoes, alfalfa and potatoes. Distribution partners Simplot Grower Solutions, Helena Chemical, Triangle Chemical, AG RX and others will work with individual growers interested in trying Cool Terra.

Jackson says Cool Planet was so confident in the positive results of the trials that the company decided to offer a grower assurance program. If farmers enrolled in the program don’t see the financial benefits from using Cool Terra, they will be eligible for reimbursement up to the total cost of the product purchased.

“Growers may be hesitant to try out a new technology that could help them because they haven’t seen the results for themselves. We put the grower assurance program in place because we’ve seen the results of the field trials with our own eyes. We want to take any perceived risk off the table,” said Jackson. “There’s no downside for the grower here. We believe in the technology and its effectiveness that much.”

Cool Terra is produced through a proprietary process that upgrades raw biochar into a consistent Engineered Biocarbon ready to incorporate into the soil. Cool Terra products are the only Engineered Biocarbon products on the market today. Application methods vary depending on the crop, but Jackson says Cool Terra can be applied with standard agricultural equipment.

“The current commercial formulation is a dry granular product that can flow through pretty much every piece of equipment that puts down a dry material. Cool Terra needs to be placed in the root development zone, but there are multiple ways to accomplish this, depending on the cropping system and the equipment you have available,” said Jackson.

Cool Planet’s team of materials scientists, plant pathologists and agronomists has been developing Cool Terra Engineered Biocarbon for more than four years. Now backed by the results of independent trials, with more underway, Jackson says it’s time to deliver profitability and sustainability to growers.

“Cool Terra products are going to help improve your soil health, and can improve your bottom line. That’s sustainability with profitability,” said Jackson.

Cool Planet was founded in 2009 to commercialize a groundbreaking technology that produced both renewable fuel and Engineered Biocarbon from biomass. The company is currently focused on deploying its proprietary Cool Terra Engineered Biocarbon products. Cool Terra delivers sustainability and profitability for agriculture, landscape, turf, nursery and ornamental markets. Cool Terra was named a Gold Edison Award winner for innovation in agricultural technology in 2015. Learn more about the Cool Terra Engineered Biocarbon technology at www.coolterra.com, on Twitter at @CoolTerraNews and on Facebook at facebook.com/CoolTerraNews