Liquid Clay: The Norwegian Tech Transforming Deserts Into Farmland
▼ Summary
– Desertification and water scarcity threaten global food security by degrading millions of hectares of arable land annually.
– Desert Control’s Liquid Natural Clay (LNC) rapidly transforms sandy soil into fertile land using nanoclay technology applied via irrigation.
– LNC binds to sand particles, creating a water-retaining structure that cuts irrigation needs by up to 50% and boosts crop yields fourfold.
– Successful trials in the UAE validated LNC’s effectiveness, enhancing water conservation and food production in arid regions.
– While current costs limit accessibility, portable manufacturing aims to scale the solution for broader use in combating desertification.
The relentless march of desertification and growing global water scarcity present one of the most pressing challenges of our time. Every year, millions of hectares of arable land are lost to degradation, raising alarms about future food security. Now, a specialized spray developed by the Norwegian cleantech company Desert Control offers a radically fast solution. The company’s patented material, Liquid Natural Clay (LNC), is designed to restore the fertility of sandy soil, turning barren deserts into productive agricultural land in a matter of hours, rather than decades. This innovation has been put to the test in the demanding environment of the UAE, with promising results that could reshape global farming.
The Nano-Scale Breakthrough
The secret to this rapid transformation lies in the Nanoclay technology that forms LNC. Unlike traditional, labor-intensive methods of mixing bulk clay into the soil, Desert Control developed a process to suspend minute clay particles in water. This specialized mixture is so thin it can be applied directly to the sand using standard irrigation equipment, such as sprinklers or water wagons.
As the liquid percolates down to the root zone (typically 30 to 60 centimeters deep), the negatively charged clay flakes bind to the positively charged sand grains. This binding creates a stable, sponge-like soil structure that can effectively retain water and essential nutrients, which would otherwise drain rapidly through desert sand. The process is entirely chemical-free, relying only on a physical change to the soil’s structure.
The UAE Success Story
The UAE farming landscape has served as a critical testing ground for LNC. The technology received independent validation from the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) in Dubai, which confirmed its profound effects on water retention and crop yield. In arid conditions, water conservation is paramount. Fields treated with LNC demonstrated a remarkable ability to preserve water resources, slashing irrigation needs by up to 50%.
Furthermore, trials showed that virgin desert soils treated with LNC could produce yields four times greater than untreated land, using the same amount of seeds and fertilizer. This ability to deliver instant soil health and drastically cut water usage is particularly impactful for communities focused on domestic food production, providing a crucial buffer against global supply chain disruptions.
Scaling Solutions for a Greener World
The rapid application time—just seven hours to convert poor-quality sand into high-yield land—presents a genuine opportunity to combat desertification on a large scale. Desert Control is already involved in major climate initiatives, including working with the UN Convention to Combat Desertification on North Africa’s ambitious Great Green Wall Project.
However, the path to mass adoption still faces economic hurdles. Currently, treating one square meter of land costs approximately $2.00. While viable for high-value applications like parklands in affluent regions, lowering this cost-effective barrier is essential for providing food security to smallholder farmers worldwide. The company is tackling this by developing portable, containerized manufacturing facilities that can process local clay sources on-site, aiming for more accessible global deployment.
The advent of Liquid Natural Clay represents a significant step forward in climate-smart sustainable agriculture. By offering a non-chemical, high-speed method for soil restoration, Desert Control is not simply making deserts bloom, but providing a scalable tool for resilience against environmental decline. As global populations rise and climate patterns intensify, innovations that address the fundamental problem of soil degradation will be vital in ensuring a sustainable food supply for the future.
You can see a video about this technique in action:
