ANT Systems Launches Industrial-Scale Production of Drought Technology Used on Five Continents
Istanbul, May 25
Agricultural nano-technology firm ANT Systems has begun industrial-scale production of NANOTERNâ„¢, a biodegradable, cellulose-based water-retention material designed for drought conditions, the company said on Saturday. Headquartered in The Hague through ANT Systems Holding B.V., with research and production in Istanbul, the company has raised about $5 million to date and values its technology portfolio at more than $30 million.
NANOTERNâ„¢, already in use in the United States, South America, the Gulf states and parts of Africa, will be made at a new 3,000-ton-per-year facility in Istanbul. Similar superabsorbent and controlled-release technologies are being developed by major global agricultural companies, but most remain at laboratory or pilot stages. ANT Systems describes itself as the first and only producer making such patent-protected material at industrial scale with field-validated results.
NANOTERNâ„¢ absorbs up to 1,800 times its own weight in water and releases it back to the soil as plants need it, leaving no residue. The company's technologies focus on the regulation of natural resources and agricultural inputs -- water, fertilizers and crop-protection compounds -- and it says the material can cut irrigation use by up to 50 percent and lift yields by up to 25 percent. Agriculture accounts for roughly 70 percent of global freshwater consumption, according to United Nations data, and the combined global market for superabsorbent and controlled-release agricultural technologies is projected to exceed $30 billion within the next decade.
ANT Systems holds global patent rights to seven nano-bio technologies under NANOTERNâ„¢, ANTIMIC AGRO and INSEASE, developed over 15 years of research at Sabanci University in Istanbul -- spanning biodegradable SAPs, heavy-metal-free disinfection agents, nano-scale encapsulation and smart greenhouse films.
Can Yurdakul, Co-Founder and CEO of ANT Systems, said, "The real breakthrough is not using less water -- it is managing it. We built a material that holds water in the soil and returns it to the plant on demand. In regions where access to water decides whether a harvest survives, this is no longer an agricultural product; it is a food-security tool -- and we are producing it at industrial scale while most of the world is still in the lab."
Professor Yusuf Menceloglu, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer, said, "The reason these products are nano is simple: with less material you achieve more effective results."
Guler Sabanci, Chairperson of the Sabanci Foundation and an investor in the company, said, "In facing the climate crisis and the water stress we are living through, the only thing we can rely on is technology and science-based research."
Agricultural Nano Technology Systems (ANT Systems) is a pioneering deep-tech agricultural nanotechnology company that engineers advanced, science-driven solutions for global sustainable farming. Headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands, with world-class R&D and production infrastructure in Turkey, the company operates at the intersection of material science and climate-resilient agriculture. ANT Systems addresses critical global challenges, including freshwater scarcity, soil degradation, and food security. (ANI)
This press release is issued through Arab Newswire () -- a press release distribution service for the Arab World, Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
— ANI
Reader Comments
Sounds promising but I'm skeptical about claims of 1800x water absorption. Many such products have been hyped before in India and failed in real field conditions. Let's see independent third-party trials in our black cotton soil and red laterite before getting excited. Also, what's the cost per kg for Indian farmers?
Impressive that a Turkish company has scaled this up while the big agri-corps are still in the lab. But I wonder if the biodegradable claim is truly verifiable over multiple seasons. Cellulose-based is good, but breakdown products need to be studied in different soil microbiomes. Still, kudos to Sabanci University for the 15 years of R&D. 🇹🇷
With 70% of global freshwater going to agriculture, this is exactly the kind of tech we need in India. Our per capita water availability is dropping every year. But why is this being manufactured in Istanbul and not in India? We have the fifth largest agricultural economy - we should be attracting such manufacturing. And why is ANI just republishing a press release? Some independent journalism would help.
This is brilliant! Nano-technology for drought management - exactly what climate-smart agriculture should look like. The controlled-release aspect is key. In Punjab and Haryana, we've over-exploited groundwater for paddy; if this can reduce water use by half without yield loss, it could help revive our aquifers. Let's hope ICRISAT or ICAR picks this up for Indian trials soon. 🌾💧
My only concern is affordability for small and marginal
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