From 18 to 20 February, Milan hosted the 10th edition of MyPlant & Garden, Italy's most prominent trade fair for horticulture, gardening and landscaping. The event, media-partnered by Renewable Matter, showcases innovations, products and initiatives that look to the future of horticulture, floriculture and agriculture. A future that cannot ignore the crucial issue of water (to which we dedicate a special newsletter and channel, The Water Observer).

Several sustainable proposals were presented at the event, looking at irrigation as one of the crucial factors in addressing the challenges of climate change and water conservation. Among these, the Austrian company LITE-SOIL, a manufacturer of underground irrigation systems and root-level water reserves for gardening and landscaping, stood out at MyPlant & Garden. To learn more about the Vienna-based company, its progress and its vision, we interviewed CEO Dorothea Sulzbacher.

How did the idea for LITE-SOIL start, and what market gap were you aiming to fill?

Water is the gold of the future, and LITE-SOIL recognised this back in 2015. Climate change is making summers hotter and hotter, and rainfall is decreasing. And this is happening worldwide! This poses a huge challenge, especially for urban green spaces, supposed to provide shade in summer. Conventional irrigation has so far been carried out exclusively from above, either manually by watering, drip irrigation tubes or sprinklers.  Above-ground irrigation wastes water as it either evaporates, gets blown away by the wind or does not even reach where the plants need it (namely, their roots), but seeps away somewhere in the soil. In times of climate change, with less and less rain and more heat, overhead irrigation is not an adequate solution. Expensive trees and lawns often dry out due to increasing heat and have to be replanted at great expense. The main objective of LITE-SOIL is therefore to reduce water consumption by 50-70% by storing water subsurface and irrigating subsurface. This is achieved using specially manufactured, biodegradable and sustainable fleece that is internationally patented and has won numerous awards. The extremely water-retentive LITE-STRIPS are simply mixed into the soil, for example around trees, on green roofs, in raised beds, vegetable gardens, flower boxes or lawns. 1kg stores around 10 litres of water. When the soil is moist, the water is stored in the LITE-STRIPS; when the soil is dry, the roots absorb the necessary water. This means that watering is required only half as often. In addition, the soil is also aerated, making it ideal for peat-free soil, and the plants grow sustainably.  When the soil is moist, water is stored in the LITE-STRIPS; when the soil is dry, the roots absorb the necessary water. This means that watering is only needed half as often. In addition, the soil is also aerated, making it ideal for peat-free soils, and plants grow sustainably. LITE-SOIL systems save time, money, water and labour for irrigation. Take a tree, for example: by visiting the site once less to water it, the LITE-NET system repays itself. The materials are also very light and easy to install, requiring no additional effort for those planting the trees, but ultimately saving time and labour costs.

Water scarcity and climate change are major economic risks, how does your product help mitigate these on a systemic scale?

Our systems can save up to 70% water compared to above-ground irrigation.

With EU policies on water efficiency and sustainability tightening, how is this affecting demand for your products?

Since the launch of our products, we have seen a massive annual increase in sales, not only in the EU but internationally. LITE-SOIL products are already being used in many countries in Europe, like Italy; in North and South America; in Australia; in the Emirates; and more. Climate change is also increasing the need for water-saving measures in northern European countries.

Can you quantify the economic impact of your products for users?

The LITE-SOIL systems save a lot of time, money, water and labour for irrigation. As a general rule, our basic products offer savings of 50%, while the BLUELITE-NET subsurface irrigation system offers savings of 70%. The materials are also very light and easy to install, so there is no additional effort for the person planting the trees, but ultimately a saving in labour time and costs.

How does the lifecycle cost (including biodegradability options) compare to alternatives in terms of environmental impact and total cost of ownership?

We offer our products either in biodegradable form, either made from 100% cellulose (these biodegrade completely after 1-2 years), 30% cellulose/70% PLA (these biodegrade completely after 5-10 years) or a durable solution made from polypropylene, which can also be used multiple times. This does not cause any environmental impact; on the contrary, it makes a significant contribution to the environment through massive water savings. The drinking water saved is then accessible to people, animals and wildlife.

Your products use geotextile non-wovens with high water retention. Which technological innovations or patents underpin this?

All our products are internationally patented and have received numerous awards.

At MyPlanTech & Garden, you are presenting your new LITE-NET TREE. What's different compared to your other products?

Due to climate change, we need more urban trees to act as natural “air conditioning”. In order to be fully effective, trees need to be large, old and protected. LITE-NET TREE is an excellent way to achieve this as subsurface supply and distribution net for air and water. In its function as a vegetation net the pre-assembled LITE-NET TREE is wrapped around the root ball. It absorbs water from the surface into its voluminous structure and, like veins, efficiently distributes it over a large area to the roots. When the roots draw on the stored water as needed, air is sucked in from the surface. This means that they simply and cost-effectively replace the pipe systems commonly used to date without kinking, clogging or creating a chimney effect. LITE-NET TREE is also ideal for deep drainage of rainwater: most rainfall events are not very heavy, so the water remains only in the upper layer of soil, where it promotes root growth. However, the LITE-NET TREE immediately absorbs the rainwater and directs it down to the deeper roots.

Are you developing next-generation systems, maybe digital or sensor-integrated irrigation solutions?

We cooperate with companies that produce sensors to measure soil moisture with our products.

What challenges have you faced in scaling internationally, and how have you overcome them?

The most important thing is always to conduct tests on site. The climate and soil conditions vary from country to country (and also within different regions, such as northern, central and southern Italy or their islands). If the tests are successful, customers see that our systems work perfectly and use them.

Has the company faced competition from larger irrigation tech firms, and how do you respond?

We are a member of the European Irrigation Association, where we meet other companies that offer irrigation solutions. We do not see them as competition, as they almost exclusively use above-ground irrigation and there are certainly situations where subsurface irrigation is not feasible. A combination of the two is also possible. In any case, our specially designed systems make us unique on the market.

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Cover: photo © Lite-Soil