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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 — our smallest install is 20 acres.
$1,300 per acre at 50 acres — volume pricing slides from $1,300 at 50 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 |
| Price (estimate — checking USDA) | $0.40/lb |
| Added yield | +11,550 lb/acre |
Checking USDA Market News for a dated quote.
Added farm-gate revenue* · Tomatoes
$4,620
per acre, every season
Your ROI
| Installation cost ($1,300/acre) | $65,000 |
| Added revenue / season | $231,000 |
| vs. | |
| Federal crop insurance / estimate* | $8,400 |
| Payback* | Next harvest |
| Revenue to cost | 3.6x |
| Every $1 invested returns about $3.55 in added revenue each season. | |
Prices, yields and gains are planning estimates. See price & yield notes*
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. National 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 | $589 | $202 | +$550/acre |
| Corn | $686 | $41 | +$756/acre |
| Grain sorghum | $233 | $43 | +$280/acre |
| Wheat | $256 | $29 | +$286/acre |
| Soybeans | $482 | $35 | +$525/acre |
| Peanuts | $959 | $230 | +$1,040/acre |
| Alfalfa (Forage Production) | $271 | $34 | +$900/acre |
| Almonds | $2,068 | $113 | +$5,060/acre |
| Cucumbers | $936 | $85 | +$1,500/acre |
| Tomatoes | $4,893 | $168 | +$3,500/acre |
| Peppers | $10,011 | $5,469 | +$3,375/acre |
| Potatoes | $2,346 | $140 | +$1,238/acre |
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.
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 50 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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All figures on this site are planning estimates — not guarantees, quotes or financial advice. Your results will vary.
- * Added farm-gate revenue. Gross revenue before savings on water, energy, seed and fertilizer, and before any added production costs. Added revenue is an estimate, not guaranteed income. ↩ Back to the revenue calculator
- * Federal crop insurance estimate. Your selected crop's U.S. 2024 average indemnity per net reported acre (USDA RMA) multiplied by the acres you install. Includes insured acres with no payment; cotton blends irrigated and dryland coverage. Crops without a verified crop-specific average show "Not available" — no payout is assumed. This is historical context, not a predicted claim or your eligibility. Insurance and the membrane can work together. ↩ Back to the revenue calculator
- * Payback. Installation cost divided by added revenue per season, rounded up to the next whole harvest. Installation pricing slides from $1,300/acre at 50 acres or less to $900/acre at 1,000 acres or more. ↩ Back to the revenue calculator
- * Prices and yields. USDA prices are checked every six hours. Shipping-point prices may include packing and handling; grain bids and hay quotations may include delivery. They are market references, not your farm's guaranteed net selling price. Peanuts use USDA NASS's weekly U.S. average price paid to growers for all farmer-stock peanut types, dated to the week ending, not a daily spot quote or shelled-kernel price. Almonds remain a labeled estimate; other crops use labeled estimates only when no usable dated quote is available. 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. ↩ Back to the revenue calculator
- * National insurance averages. Nationwide (all states), 2024 crop year — not a quote or payment for your farm. Each figure is total reported dollars divided by share-adjusted net reported acres (reported acres × insured ownership share), rounded to the nearest dollar, across all reported plans and coverage levels including supplemental plans. Indemnities include all covered causes of loss, not drought alone; revenue policies can also cover price declines. Averages include insured acres with no payment and do not describe the average payment to a grower who filed a claim. Peppers reflect heavy 2024 storm losses in a small insured acreage (about 98% of payments were in Florida). Cotton excludes extra-long-staple cotton. Cucumbers represent one specific crop, not vegetables generally. ↩ Back to the insurance comparison
- * Added revenue with membrane. Values are illustrative estimates based on current prices and published and non-published data — a gross-revenue scenario, not net profit, a guaranteed yield gain or an insurance benefit. Assumptions: cotton 748 lb × $0.70 × 105%; corn 180 bu × $4.20 × 100%; sorghum 70 bu × $4.00 × 100%; wheat 52 bu × $5.50 × 100%; soybeans 50 bu × $10.50 × 100%; peanuts 4,000 lb × $0.26 × 100%; alfalfa 4.5 ton × $200 × 100%; almonds 2,200 lb × $2.30 × 100%; cucumbers 20,000 lb × $0.30, tomatoes 35,000 lb × $0.40, peppers 30,000 lb × $0.45 and potatoes 450 cwt × $11, each × 25%. The 100% and 25% gains are scenario assumptions, not published crop-specific trial results. These fixed prices are not the calculator's live quotes. ↩ Back to the insurance comparison
- * Insurance and the membrane. 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. ↩ Back to the insurance comparison
Source. USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA), Summary of Business, 2024 crop year; USDA Market News.