ClearVue Technologies subsidiary OptiCrop wins first commercial project for global agtech customer
ClearVue Technologies’ (ASX: CPV) wholly owned Israeli subsidiary OptiCrop has secured its first commercial project since acquiring the intellectual property (IP) and assets of ROOTS Sustainable Agricultural Technologies in November.
The $80,000 project for an undisclosed global agrotechnology customer will use ROOTS’ proprietary ground-source heat exchange cooling solution to feed elevated plant gutters across a one-acre greenhouse and support improved plant growth and energy efficiency.
The customer is a leader in precision irrigation solutions, with projects in over 110 countries and across 10 million hectares of land, serving over two million farmers.
Commercial traction
ClearVue global chief executive officer Martin Deil said the project demonstrated early commercial traction in the protected cropping space.
“This first sale for OptiCrop is a significant achievement for our ag-tech division and underlines the strong market potential for integrated solar greenhouses and sustainable climate control solutions,” he said.
“We are excited to see the OptiCrop team hit the ground running to deliver early revenue and demonstrate the demand for our technologies in the market.”
Product portfolio
OptiCrop is focused on commercialising advanced agricultural technologies to improve crop yield while materially reducing energy use.
The company’s product portfolio combines ClearVue’s greenhouse solar glass (to generate clean energy) with ROOTS IP, which includes irrigation by condensation.
This enables standalone irrigation using humidity to extract water from the air, along with root zone temperature optimisation, which acts to stabilise plant root temperatures.
By bringing these technologies to market, OptiCrop aims to strengthen food security and transform agriculture through more sustainable, water- and energy-efficient solutions.
ROOTS acquisition
OptiCrop acquired the IP and assets of Israel-based ROOTS in November, bringing together complementary technologies to offer sustainable, integrated greenhouse and agricultural solutions to global markets.
Mr Deil said the acquisition aligned with ClearVue’s strategy to deliver integrated and sustainable net zero solutions for the greenhouse market.
“We first began engaging with ROOTS in 2019, but COVID put that planned collaboration on hold and we believe the time is now right to merge our complementary and synergistic technologies to advance sustainable agriculture solutions,” he said at the time.
Yield improvements
ClearVue’s solar glazing technology had previously demonstrated material yield improvements on certain crop types grown inside its research greenhouse at Murdoch University in Perth.
Trials from a third growing season in 2023 showed yield increases of between 52% and 170% in snow peas, capsicums and Roma tomatoes when grown under the company’s solar glass, compared against regular greenhouse glass.
Preliminary results from trials earlier this year have shown yield increases of between 16% and 93% in spinach, bok choi, dwarf beans and various snow pea varieties.