Nanoclay: a Norwegian invention turns deserts into gardens

Desert control
Nanoclay: a Norwegian invention turns deserts into gardens

The Desert Control setup produces extremely small clay particles. When sprinkled with water on sandy soil, they turn desert into farmland in a matter of hours.

The construction of the Aswan Dam in the 1960s was an ingenious feat that would catapult Egypt into the modern era. Planners also knew that Egypt’s agriculture depended on the Nile floods. The dam simulated them by releasing controlled water. And yet after about ten years, the crops collapsed. The engineers had considered nothing. The floods carried not only water, but also fertile mud. That was now held back by the dam, after ten years the fields were exhausted.

This mistake led to an important discovery that is now destined to help turn deserts and arid areas into flourishing gardens. The Nile carried not only nutrients and minerals, but also large amounts of finely ground clay particles. They were the true secret of the fertile Nile Valley. The Norwegian company Desert Control has developed a nanoclay based on this model, which is supposed to turn deserts into gardens.

Clay enhances the floor

Ole Sivertsen, managing director of Desert Control, told the “BBC”. “Lean soils struggle to retain moisture or allow plants to thrive. Having clay in the right proportions can change that dramatically.” Clay has been used to improve soils for millennia, but when digested, it also damages the underground ecosystem from the symbiotic relationship between plants and fungi. In arid areas, this system takes a long time to recover from such an intervention.

In the 2000s, Norwegian scientist Kristian Olesen invented a technology that turned clay into a liquid almost as fine as water. It is used by Desert Control. When this nanoclay is sprinkled on sand, this fluid consistency causes it to “drip and seep”. However, it is not easy, the mixture must be precisely adapted to the soil. “Unfortunately, it is not the case that one mix fits all floors,” says Sivertsen. “Ten years of testing in China, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan has taught us that every soil must be tested so that we can mix the correct nanoclay formulation.”

It is important that the tiny clay particles can seep into the soil, but they should not immediately run off again. You have to enrich the fertile layer exactly 10-20 centimeters below the surface. Fortunately, the soil chemistry helps with this. “Due to their chemical composition, clay particles are negatively charged, while sand grains are positively charged,” says Sivertsen. “This natural polarity means that when they meet, they come together.”

Surface enlargement

The charge causes a layer of clay to form around the sand particles. Under the microscope, the structure looks like a snowflake. The surface area around the grain of sand increases and the water and nutrients adhere more easily. “You can apply (liquid nanoclay) with any known irrigation technique,” says Sivertsen. “You could even use a garden sprayer.” One of the best things about the method is its speed. Just seven hours after the nanoclay has been sprayed with a mixture of water and soil particles, it can be planted. Basically, the crop must continue to be watered, but the use of water is much more efficient.

The scientifically monitored field trial was carried out in Dubai in March 2020. It only took 40 days from applying the nanoclay infusion on sandy and arid soil to harvesting a field with ripe watermelons. This was an important milestone for the Emirates, which import 90 percent of all food.

Costs must be reduced

Desert Control wants to build the production facilities for the soil improver so small that it will fit in a shipping container. These mobile units are designed to produce liquid nanoclay where it is needed, using clay from the same country. The first of these mini-factories will be used in the United Arab Emirates. It should produce 40,000 liters of liquid substrate per hour. This is intended to treat the green areas of Dubai. The treatment lasts about five years, then you have to repeat it. The only problem is the cost. Currently they are around 1.50 euros per square meter. It is priceless for African farmers. Desert Control hopes to reduce it to 20 cents. “If they can lower the price and make it affordable for lower-income countries, it could have a really huge impact on food security and the ability of many of those countries to use their own crops,” said Ismahane Elouafi, CEO. from the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) in Dubai.

Quellen: CNN; BBC; Desert control

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