Nerea
NEREA® is a patented technology developed over more than 30-years by scientists with expertise in botany, crop science, nuclear chemistry, and other fields, at the University of Havana. Related to science researched by NASA for growing crops on the International Space Station, NEREA® is licensed exclusively to IZ. NEREA® is a revolutionary material and method of direct crop and plant agronomy, offering a superior alternative to the well-known hydroponics technique. Like hydroponics, NEREA® facilitates growing crops efficiently with up to 90% savings in water and fertilizer usage while remarkably increasing crop yield (20-30%) and speed. However, NEREA®-based ‘zeoponics is far less complicated and thus has far lower capital –and operational- requirements and costs for equivalent output.
NEREA® can be thought of as a “solid-state hydroponics” where simply water – without pre-mixed nutrients – is added without the need for any additional nutrient control infrastructure, such as: circulating pumps, sophisticated sensors, and/or complicated control and monitoring systems.
Indeed, the plant itself does the regulating (“dispensing”) of the nutrients as it needs them. With only the addition of water, into the “solid-state” growth medium, plants will grow in the zeoponic medium for what can be multiple growth cycles. No complex system of circulation, pumping, dosing, level-monitoring, measurement & testing, etc. with all the potential for infection, leaks, clogging, mold, algae – is needed.
NEREA® has been functionalized – altered chemically – by a series of proprietary treatments, to create unique bonding sites – like customized “docking ports” at specific junctions in its crystalline structure, for the various macro- and micro- nutrients to adhere to with a chemical bond.
“NEREA® demonstrated multiple advantages during our greenhouse trials including promoting germination rate and time, promoting flowering, shortening crop cycle and increasing yield. It is worth mentioning that NEREA® provided all the essential nutrients required for the growth of various potted plants throughout the growth period. The capability of recharging and reusing zeolite after the crop cycle should be considered, which could potentially improve input use efficiency, as well as decrease energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions related to horticultural practices. NEREA® is a great candidate for soil amendments, green roof substrates or other low impact development settings, due to its capability of holding water and nutrients in the root zone until plants are ready to utilize them, reducing nutrient leaching and environmental impacts.”Qinglu Ying PHD, Vineland Innovation & Research Centre