Retain water at plant roots
Pivot and flood irrigation lose 50% to evaporation.
Subsurface drip irrigation ( SDI ) loses water via percolation down to the water table
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.
Subsurface water retention has never resulted in any negative result. In drought areas, it could be the difference between farming and grazing.
Sequestering water is a time-tested successful strategy for millenia but not scaleable for row crops. 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
The X factor: better control of your destiny instead of
relying on nature and water authorities.
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
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.
