Agriculture uses around 70% of all freshwater withdrawn globally. A significant proportion of that water never reaches the crop. It evaporates, runs off or soaks past the root zone unused.
For growers of high-value fruits and vegetables, this inefficiency has a direct cost. Every litre pumped, delivered and wasted is money spent for nothing.
Improving water efficiency is not just about irrigation scheduling. It requires understanding how plants use water at the cellular level and finding tools that support that process from within. ISKAMARĀ® with PSIĀ® 433 Precision Technology was built precisely for this.
How Water Stress Damages Crops
The cascade begins before symptoms appear
When soil moisture drops below a crop’s threshold, the plant responds immediately. Stomata close to limit water loss. This also cuts CO2 intake, which slows photosynthesis. Nutrient transport from root to shoot is impaired.
Cell expansion slows. Growth stalls. In fruit crops, flowering is disrupted and fruit set drops.
The key problem is that this cascade starts well before any visible wilting. By the time a grower sees symptoms, yield damage has already happened.
Relative water content: the metric that matters
Relative water content (RWC) measures how much water a plant is retaining in its tissue compared to what it could hold when fully hydrated. Higher RWC under stress means better water use efficiency at the cellular level.
Improving RWC under deficit conditions is one of the core mechanisms through which ISKAMARĀ® protects yield.
What ISKAMARĀ® Does and How It Works
A precision formulation from marine science
ISKAMARĀ® contains marine oligosaccharides derived from chitosan, enriched with calcium and organic acids. This formulation was developed through the PSIĀ® 433 Precision Technology platform.
Every batch is validated chemically, biologically and functionally before it leaves the facility.
Smarter stomatal control
ISKAMARĀ® optimises how stomata open and close under water stress. The plant limits transpiration water loss more efficiently without shutting down photosynthesis as sharply.
This improves the ratio of carbon fixed to water transpired, which is the core definition of intrinsic water use efficiency.
Better transport, better cellular protection
Under stress, carbohydrate and calcium transport within the plant often breaks down. ISKAMARĀ® supports both. This helps maintain cell wall integrity and turgor pressure, the physical pressure that drives continued growth.
The product also stimulates defence proteins and secondary metabolites. These build broader stress tolerance, not just against water deficit but against the heat and nutrient disruption that often accompany it.
Field Evidence: Real Yield Gains Under Real Drought
Potato trial: 16% more marketable yield
In a potato trial conducted during a severe agricultural drought season, ISKAMARĀ® treated plants held higher relative water content at every measurement point throughout mid-season.
At harvest, treated plots produced 16%more marketable yield than untreated controls. Same soil. Same weather. Same irrigation programme. The only difference was ISKAMARĀ®.
15.4% improvement across the full trial portfolio
Across tree fruits, tree nuts, soft fruits, vegetables and grapes, and across multiple growing regions, ISKAMARĀ® delivers an average yield benefit of 15.4% in stressed conditions.
That consistency across crops and climates is what makes the product commercially reliable, not just scientifically interesting.
Practical Integration: Deficit Irrigation and Cost Savings
More value from every litre applied
When ISKAMARĀ® helps crops maintain productivity at reduced irrigation volumes, the economic value of every litre applied goes up. Lower pumping costs. Lower energy bills. And in regions with allocation limits, the potential to free up water for other uses.
Water Efficiency Is a Sustainability Imperative
The environmental stakes are high
Agricultural water waste depletes aquifers that are not replenishing. It increases the energy demands of water extraction and distribution. In catchments where farms and communities compete for the same water, every litre wasted in a field is a litre unavailable elsewhere.
Precision over volume
ISKAMARĀ® works with the plant’s own physiology rather than compensating for waste with higher application volumes. This is what resource-efficient agriculture looks like in practice.
Sustainability and Standards page.
Start Getting More from Every Drop
ISKAMARĀ® with PSIĀ® 433 Precision Technology is trusted by growers across tree fruits, vegetables, grapes and more. It delivers an average 15.4% yield improvement in stressed conditions, holds organic certification and integrates into any spray programme.
ISKAMARĀ® product page to access trial data and application protocols, or contact our team to discuss how ISKAMARĀ® fits your irrigation programme this season.
