Special to WaterWrights.net
There is plenty of evidence that soil health and water savings are a natural fit for higher yields and profit. Near Salinas, California a grower-reviewed commercial field trials across 1.0-acre and 5.5-acre blocks deliver up to $2,090 in net profit per acre after accounting for an $800/acre treatment cost.
Two commercial romaine lettuce field comparisons conducted with a large specialty crop grower in California’s Salinas Valley produced substantial harvested yield increases and notable per-acre profit gains following applications of Liquid Natural Clay (LNC), according to Desert Control (OSE: DSRT), the pioneer in liquid clay soil amendment technology.
The field evaluations were conducted on historically underperforming sandy loam blocks with a 64-percent sand content. In the initial trial, Desert Control applied Liquid Natural Clay (LNC) in April to one acre of romaine lettuce hearts, comparing it directly to an untreated control acre under identical commercial irrigation practices.
At harvest on May 19, the LNC-treated acre produced 427 boxes compared with 329 boxes from the untreated control acre—a 29.8-percent increase in romaine crop yield (98 additional boxes per acre). Average carton weights remained nearly identical (17.8 net lbs for treated vs. 17.7 net lbs for untreated), confirming the yield difference was driven by a greater volume of harvestable, commercial-grade romaine heads rather than heavier individual plants.
Economic modeling based on these observed yield increases demonstrates strong commercial potential for vegetable growers under tight margin pressures. With a transparent LNC commercial treatment cost of $800 per acre for drip tape fields, the return-on-investment formula shows:
- Gross Revenue Lift: +$2,450 to +$3,136 per acre (calculated at a standard romaine spot price of $25 to $32 per box).
- Net Profit Benefit: +$1,330 to +$2,090 per acre (after accounting for the $800/acre LNC treatment cost and incremental harvest handling of $2.50 to $3.25/box).
- Lowered Break-Even Threshold: Just 28 to 37 boxes per acre. The observed 98-box lift is more than 2.5 times the necessary break-even yield, proving the high margin-safety of the soil treatment.
To validate these findings at a larger operational scale, Desert Control and the grower conducted a subsequent romaine lettuce comparison in June. LNC was applied to 5.5 acres and compared against 5.3 untreated control acres under identical commercial production conditions.
At harvest, and on a “top and tail” basis, completed July 4 and July 6, the LNC-treated acreage produced 6.7 bins per acre compared with 5.0 bins per acre on the untreated acreage—a 34-percent increase. On a total weight basis, the treated acreage delivered 33,705 harvested pounds per acre vs. 26,680 pounds per acre for the control, representing a 21.7-percent increase in total yield weight (7,024 additional pounds per acre).
Side-by-Side Commercial Lettuce Trial Results Table:
Performance Metric Trial #1 (Initial Comparison) Trial #2 (Larger-Acreage Follow-up)
Acreage (Treated vs. Control) 1.0 Acre vs. 1.0 Acre 5.5 Acres vs. 5.3 Acres
Primary Yield Metric +29.8-percent Boxes 6.7 vs. 5.0 Bins/Acre (+34.0-percent)
Recorded Harvest Volume 427 vs. 329 Boxes 33,705 vs. 26,680 Avg Lbs/Acre
Secondary Container Metric 17.8 vs. 17.7 Net Lbs/Box +26.3-percent Lbs/Acre
LNC Drip Tape Treatment Cost $800 / Acre $800 / Acre
Modeled Net Financial Benefit +$1,330 to +$2,090 / Acre Verified Weight & Bin Basis for Local ROI
Seamless Micro-Irrigation Drip Tape Compatibility
In both comparisons, LNC was delivered directly through the grower’s existing drip tape during a scheduled 0.15-inch (3.81 mm) irrigation event. The application runtime was approximately 2.7 hours in the first trial and 18 hours across the larger follow-up acreage.
The grower was not required to install any additional equipment, purchase specialty machinery, or alter their standard irrigation management. LNC was supplied and applied utilizing Desert Control’s local application labor.
Importantly for grower operational safety, the patented LNC formulation is a completely suspended, non-abrasive liquid clay. It is engineered to pass cleanly through standard micro-irrigation drip tape emitters and multi-stage filtration systems, leaving zero residue and eliminating any risk of emitter clogging or field-line blockages.
“These results demonstrate the practical value of improving the soil’s ability to hold water and nutrients where crops need them most,” said Marty Weems, Managing Director of Desert Control. “In these trials, Liquid Natural Clay demonstrated yield increases of approximately 30-percent and higher, while significantly improving economic margins, all without requiring additional water or changes to standard farming practices.”
“We were pleased to see this degree of response in row crops grown on sandy loam, indicating that LNC can create a highly practical path to protect grower investment in seed and nutrient inputs, recover yield in historically underperforming fields, and improve per-acre economics,” said Weems.
“These results show the commercial promise of targeting underperforming acres first,” Weems added. “In two grower-managed comparisons, LNC delivered more sellable romaine through infrastructure already in the field—creating a practical path to improve crop health and drive stronger per-acre profitability.”
The Science Behind Root-Zone Nutrient Retention
LNC is an organic-compliant, water-based suspension of clay particles designed for application to coarse-textured, fast-draining soils. By increasing the soil’s reactive surface area within the root zone, the treatment slows the downward percolation of water and nutrients, keeping them available to plant roots longer.
This retention mechanism is supported by independent research conducted by the University of Arizona.
“In our field trial with LNC in 2025 with a commercial grower, sensor data showed a clear treatment-related pattern: soils treated with LNC retained moisture longer and maintained more nitrate within the active root zone than the untreated soil,” said Dr. Ali T. Mohammed, Assistant Professor & Extension Specialist/Agronomist, Organic Cropping Systems, University of Arizona. “The LNC treatment results suggest improved availability of both water and nutrients for plant roots.”
This enhanced retention of moisture and vital nutrients in the active root zone directly translates into a more robust and resilient root environment, with stronger plant roots accounting for higher yields at harvest.
Desert Control noted that additional replicated evaluations will be needed to determine how results vary by soil type, season, crop, and management program. The two Salinas Valley comparisons document performance under one grower’s commercial production conditions and should not be interpreted as a guarantee of results in other fields.
Subsidized Specialty Crop Field Trials: Open Applications for Growers
Following the romaine comparisons, Desert Control has expanded its work with the grower to a 5.2-acre side-by-side onion evaluation planted in June, with additional specialty crop evaluations underway.
Desert Control is currently accepting applications from commercial growers interested in subsidized field trials on precision irrigated sandy loam and loamy sand grown fruits, vegetables, and permanent crops. If you manage fields larger than 10 acres that are underperforming optimal yields, contact the agricultural sales team at USA@desertcontrol.com today.
Applications should include contact information, basic soil texture classification, crop types, and the zip code of the underperforming field blocks.
About Desert Control
Desert Control develops innovative solutions to enhance soil health, conserve water, and promote ecosystem resilience. Our proprietary Liquid Natural Clay (LNC) allows sandy, fast-draining soils to retain water and nutrients, improving soil health, crop yields, and ecosystem vitality while conserving water. Desert Control provides customized solutions to strengthen sustainability, profitability, and prosperity for agriculture, forests, and green landscapes. The company is listed on Euronext Growth Oslo under the ticker DSRT. For more information, visit www.desertcontrol.com
Company Contact:
David Borah
Chief Financial Officer
Desert Control
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