Retain water at plant roots
Pivot, ditch and flood irrigation
lose 50% to evaporation.
Subsurface drip irrigation ( SDI ) bypasses plant roots
via percolation down to the water table.
These approaches assume plentiful water. Water is an example of
natural resource scarcity. There will be no more when the aquifers are depleted
and the rivers dry up. Profligate irresponsible water usage is not possible in an era of
Terra Nova Research , LLC's membrane
irrigation by subsurface retention is a proven, viable adaptive responsible Agricultural Water Management
strategy to survive drought and increase yield.
Sequestering water is a time-tested successful strategy for millenia but not scaleable for row crops.
( The pioneers experimented with dry farming to capture precious moisture. )
Terra Nova is the culmination of decades of development. Our patent has 20 improvements over existing devices.
Benefits:
1. drought tolerance / survival
2. maximizes yields in extant fields.
3. reduced input costs
seed, water, electricity, diesel, fertilizer
4. better quality = higher farm gate price
5. renders sandy soils arable
6 eliminates deep breaking
7. prevents soil erosion
Skeptical ? Visit our Resources page for specific studies
from long before we incorporated.
For payback calculator, visit our resources
page.
The X factor: better control of your destiny instead of
relying on nature and water authorities. At some point,
water authorities will have to choose between ag or
water for towns.
🎥 🍿 Oliver Twist, Please Sir I Want Some More
Our " bravo " ( version 2 ) unit is ready to dig on short notice.
contact us for quotation on custom installation. Price is a function of number of acres, location and amount of membrane required ( orchard or row ). We bring the device and the membrane. You provide the tractor and labor. It's a capital investment which will pay off literally for centuries. There is no maintenance.
click here for our you tube channel
Member Utah Farm Bureau
Major sponsor of Plains Cotton Growers
Association conference April 7, 2026
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Our groundbreaking "alpha" version had a short life. Turns out it was not concrete breaking. It literally ran into concrete during a test in 2024. It was like our Kitty Hawk. The small test plot did further substantiate proof of concept.
We gave a sneak preview in Lubbock, TX on July 24,2025.
click on the link for local Lubbock news coverage.
About Terra Nova Research
Terra Nova Research, a Delaware LLC, is dedicated to revolutionizing water conservation in sandy soils through innovative engineering and applied academic research. Founded to bridge the gap between non-scalable university research and real-world agricultural needs, we will optimize yields on extant farms and bring cutting-edge solutions to over 5 billion acres of sandy soil in global agricultural production. Our mission is to enhance sustainability and productivity, transforming farming practices worldwide with practical, science-driven technologies.
About founder James Franz
James Franz has a bachelor's degree in Engineering from General Motors
Institute in Flint, MI. He has a Master's in Engineering from University of
Michigan. He trained in Japan at Toyota. He achieved a Shingo-prize which
is the highest award for organizational excellence.
His 39 year career in manufacturing has taken him to 58 countries.
James is a pilot and international public speaker.
