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Patented subsurface irrigation · Terra Nova Research
Keep every drop at the roots.
Pivots, wheel lines and flood irrigation lose up to 50% to evaporation. Our subsurface membrane holds water where crops need it — turning sandy soil into high-yield ground.
50%
water lost to evaporation by surface methods
$900–$1,300
per acre vs. $2,000–$9,000 for pivots
20
patented improvements over existing devices
0
maintenance, ever
How subsurface water retention works
A reservoir right under the roots.
Drip systems let water percolate straight past the plant down to the water table. Terra Nova's membrane irrigation by subsurface retention lays a barrier beneath the root zone, so rain and irrigation stay available to your crop.
Farmers have sequestered water for millennia — but never at row-crop scale. Our "Bravo" unit makes it practical, and is ready to install on short notice.
Increased yield & farm-gate revenue
What more yield is worth to you.
Drag the slider to set your acreage.
$1,284 per acre at 50 acres — volume pricing slides from $1,300 at 10 acres to $900 at 1,000+.
Drag the slider — every number updates as you move it.
Measured in published field research: +33% vs. control.
| Typical yield | 35,000 lb/acre |
| Spot price (typical estimate) | $0.40/lb |
| Added yield | +11,550 lb/acre |
Added farm-gate revenue · Tomatoes
$4,620
per acre, every season
Your ROI
| Installation cost ($1,284/acre) | $64,200 |
| Added revenue | $231,000 / season |
| Payback | Under 1 season |
| Revenue to cost | 3.6x |
| Every $1 invested returns about $3.60 in added revenue each season. | |
$1,284/acre at 50 acres (volume pricing).
Before savings on water, energy, seed and fertilizer.
Price: typical U.S. farm-gate estimate. All figures are for reference only — your specific situation may differ. Yield gains from Terra Nova field research summary (2021). Cotton yields: USDA 2024 final county yields, Lubbock County, TX (looked up 09/26/2026); other yields are typical U.S. averages. Your results depend on soil, climate and management.
Water conservation in agriculture
Water-efficient irrigation that works underground.
Surface irrigation methods like pivots, wheel lines and flooding can lose up to 50% of their water to evaporation before it ever reaches the crop.
Terra Nova's membrane is water-saving irrigation by design: it holds rain and irrigation water in the root zone, so less water is pumped, less drains away to the water table, and less disappears into the air.
For growers facing drought and tighter water allocations, that means real irrigation water conservation — without giving up yield.
Benefits
Take control of your water — and your destiny.
01
Drought survival
Water stays in the root zone instead of draining past it.
02
Higher yields
Maximize output on the fields you already farm.
03
Lower inputs
Less seed, water, electricity, diesel and fertilizer.
04
Better quality
Healthier crops command a higher farm-gate price.
05
Sandy soil, arable
Makes light, fast-draining ground productive.
06
No deep breaking
Eliminates costly deep tillage.
07
Stops erosion
Holds soil and moisture where they belong.
The X factor
Someday water authorities will choose between farms and towns. Be ready.
Center pivot irrigation cost vs. Terra Nova
Pay once. Harvest for generations.
Center pivot (from)
$2,000
per acre, plus ongoing energy & maintenance
Terra Nova
$900–$1,300
per acre, sliding scale by acreage
no maintenance — ever
Estimates only. Final price depends on acreage, location and membrane (orchard or row). Try the calculator above to price your acreage.
When crops fail: USDA insurance vs. Terra Nova
Two different ways to manage farm risk.
Crop insurance covers eligible losses under your policy; MaxYield is designed to retain water in the root zone. Statewide insurance averages are historical context — not your farm's coverage limit or an expected claim payment. Your coverage depends on crop, county, practice, policy plan, approved yield and elected coverage level.
| Crop | Reported liability / net acre | 2024 indemnities / net acre | Illustrative added gross revenue with membrane* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cotton | $478 | $243 | +$550/acre |
| Corn | $497 | $86 | +$756/acre |
| Grain sorghum | $231 | $53 | +$280/acre |
| Wheat | $153 | $31 | +$286/acre |
| Peanuts | $1,143 | $528 | +$1,040/acre |
| Cucumbers | $692 | $101 | +$1,500/acre |
Texas, 2024 crop year. Statewide averages — not a quote or payment for your farm. Cotton excludes extra-long-staple cotton. Cucumbers represent one specific crop, not vegetables generally.
* Values are illustrative estimates based on published and non-published data. The 100% gains and 25% vegetable gain are scenario assumptions, not published crop-specific trial results. All figures are for reference only — your specific situation may differ.
The MaxYield membrane
$900–$1,300
per acre, one time. Sliding scale by acreage.
- A one-time installation, not an insurance premium.
- Retains water below the root zone.
- Designed to reduce water stress in suitable soils.
- Yield and revenue outcomes vary by field and season.
Insurance and the membrane can work together. MaxYield does not eliminate drought or other crop risks, guarantee a harvest, or replace crop insurance. Discuss your own coverage with a licensed crop insurance agent.
Milestones
2024
Our "Kitty Hawk"
The Alpha unit literally hit concrete in testing — and the plot still proved the concept.
July 2025
Lubbock preview
Sneak preview for growers in Lubbock, TX, covered by local news.
April 2026
Plains Cotton Growers
Major sponsor of the PCG conference. Member, Utah Farm Bureau.
About Terra Nova Research
From university research to real farms.
Terra Nova Research is bridging the gap between non-scalable academic research and real agricultural needs — bringing water conservation to over 5 billion acres of sandy soil worldwide.
Founder, James K. Franz
B.S. Engineering, General Motors Institute. M.S. Engineering, University of Michigan. Trained at Toyota in Japan and a Shingo Prize recipient. A 40-year manufacturing career spanning 58 countries.
As seen on KCBD NewsChannel 11, Lubbock
“The goal is to transform West Texas agriculture by taking sandy soils and giving them a much higher water holding potential — whether it’s rainfall or irrigation.”
Questions
How is this different from subsurface drip irrigation?
Subsurface drip lets water percolate past the roots down to the water table. Our membrane sits below the root zone and holds water where plants can use it.
What does installation involve?
We bring the Bravo unit and the membrane. You provide the tractor and labor. Row crops and orchards both supported.
Is there maintenance?
None. It's a one-time capital investment designed to pay off for generations.
How much does a center pivot irrigation system cost?
Center pivots start around $2,000 per acre and can reach $9,000, plus ongoing energy and maintenance. Terra Nova's underground irrigation membrane runs $900–$1,300 per acre with no maintenance.
What does Terra Nova cost?
$1,300 per acre at 10 acres, dropping steadily to $900 per acre at 1,000 acres or more. Final price depends on acreage, location and membrane required. Contact us for a quote.
Ready to turn sand into yield?
Questions, acreage, or just curious? Send a note — our team reads every message.
From prototype to field
Building MaxYield, in photos.
From Terra Nova Research
Notes on water & yield.
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Read the post →Data notes for the insurance comparison.
How the averages are calculated. Each insurance figure is total reported dollars divided by share-adjusted net reported acres (reported acres × insured ownership share), rounded to the nearest dollar. Totals include all reported plans and coverage levels, including applicable supplemental plans that may cover the same land. They are not base-policy-only figures or averages across unique physical acres.
What the averages do not tell you. Insurance averages are not individual policy guarantees. Indemnities include covered causes of loss, not drought alone; revenue policies can also cover qualifying price declines. A statewide average includes insured acres with no payment and does not describe the average payment to a grower who filed a claim.
The membrane column. Insurance and added crop revenue measure different things. The membrane column is an illustrative annual gross-revenue scenario, not net profit, a guaranteed yield gain or an insurance benefit; it excludes additional production costs and does not predict how insurance payments may change. Actual results depend on soil, crop, weather and management.
Assumptions behind the membrane examples. Cotton 748 lb × $0.70/lb × 105% (irrigated scenario); corn 180 bu × $4.20/bu × 100%; sorghum 70 bu × $4.00/bu × 100%; wheat 52 bu × $5.50/bu × 100%; peanuts 4,000 lb × $0.26/lb × 100%; cucumbers 20,000 lb × $0.30/lb × 25%. Cotton's insurance average blends irrigated and dryland coverage, unlike its membrane example. The vegetable example represents cucumbers only. These fixed prices are not live spot quotes from the calculator.
Source. USDA RMA 2024 Summary of Business data (ZIP), checked October 19, 2026. Policy details: USDA RMA insurance plans.