Roots Sustainable Agricultural Technologies Limited announced that it has secured additional contract wins in the UAE and Israel for the use of its commercial agriculture technology. The sales results demonstrate that Roots, which is headquartered in Israel, is finding traction across its product suite in both domestic and international markets. Highlights: Contract wins include a $151,350 deal for the supply of Roots' HEPS (Heat Exchange Probes) cooling solution, as part of a large-scale coffee production project in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Follows the recent signing of a free trade agreement between Israel and the UAE, which aims to lift bilateral trade to more than $10bn Two additional contracts secured in the Israel market, demonstrating the multi-use application of Roots' technology for an array of commercial agriculture operations.

Highlighting the Company's latest update was confirmation of a new sales agreement with EliteAgro ­ a leading agricultural company headquartered in the UAE with operations in several regional jurisdictions. Under the terms of the sales agreement, Roots will facilitate the supply of HEPS (Heat Exchange Probes), as part of a root-zone cooling solution for EliteAgro's `Coffee House Murmum' project. The HEPS are designed to cool the root zone temperature of the coffee plants at scale, and keep them at an optimal range year-round.

The total consideration payable to Roots for the HEPS solution was agreed at USD 105,000 (~$151,350). Payment terms were finalised via a Letter of Credit (LC), which was formally agreed to by both parties. Under the terms of the LC agreement, Roots has received an initial funds transfer amounting to 15% of the total sum.

The remaining 85% will be paid as follows: 55% upon shipment; 20% upon installation; and 10% after one year against the final acceptance certificate. The Coffee House Murmum project is part of a multiple commercial initiatives in the region, which incorporate cutting edge agricultures technologies that offset the harsh climate environment in the UAE. Roots' technology is designed to support and facilitate the growth of 9,000 coffee plants in pots, under very hot weather conditions near Dubai.

Coffee plants have a shallow root system and most roots concentrate around the drip irrigation area. The Roots system is designed to cool the root-zone area with the insertion of two HEPS per pot, maintaining an optimum temperature range under 30 degrees celsius. The system is controlled by a unique monitor, which operates as a centralised data collection and data sharing system to control the heat pump operation.

Coffee plantations are usually grown in tropical regions, however, in the UAE the canopy will be exposed to air temperatures that could reach 50 degrees celsius during daytime hours. Based on the application of its technology and direct experience from previous commercial sales, Roots has observed that a significant delta exists between cooled roots and the hot canopy, which will accelerate growth and boost the plant's overall performance. The project involves commercial plant operation, located in a quarter acre greenhouse using the NFT (Nutrient Film Technique) method.

ROOTSSAT will supply and install a heating and cooling system that will connect to the growing fluid and provide the ideal temperature for the plant year-round. Under the terms of the sales agreement, consideration paid to Roots will be $12,600 with 60% payable immediately, 39% on installation date and 10% payable upon completion of installation. With this system, the customer will be able to add growing cycles and grow all year round regardless of the temperature outside.

Roots has also been commissioned to install a Root Zone Temperature (RZT) system comprising pipes in the beds of Ornithogalum flowers. The technology will be deployed for a farming client that grows flowers, peppers and cucumbers for sale in domestic markets. Under the terms of the sales agreement, consideration paid to Roots will be $25,974 with 40% payable immediately and the remaining 60% payable upon completion of installation and governmental subsidy payment (already approved by the Israeli Agricultural Ministry).

Typically, during the summer period, the client removes the hatches from the ground and transfers them to a refrigerator. Applying the RZT technology system, it will be possible to leave the hatches in the growing bed until the next growth cycle. This saves considerable labor and supports the profitability of the entire growing operation.

In addition, during the cultivation, the client will be able to set the optimal temperature point for the plant, accelerating the flowering process and resulting in an earlier `go to market' to obtain premium prices. The current growing method is labour intensive and requires moving the growing pots to a freezer to induce dormancy and then re-plant them back in the soil or pots. This growing protocol requires a narrowly defined temperature range, whereby during certain periods the soil needs to be cooled significantly to below 10 degrees Celsius.

With Roots' system the farmer will be able to cool the soil to similar temperatures in the freezer and save moving the pots in and out of a freezer. This will allow the farmer to leave the hatches in the growing bed until the next growth cycle and save considerable labor. The system will also cool the soil during hot nights In Israel a more frequent occurrence due to climate warming.