20180411_Open_design_of_the_Groasis_Waterboxx_functionalities_-_you_may_publish_if_you_include_'Courtesy_Groasis'

The Groasis Waterboxx is a device designed to help in growing

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...

s in dry areas. It was invented and developed by

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

former flower exporter

Pieter Hoff The Groasis Waterboxx is a device designed to help in growing trees in dry areas. It was invented and developed by Dutch former flower exporter Pieter Hoff,Witkin, JimDeveloping a ‘Water Battery’ for trees''New York Times'', 9 April 2010. Acce ...

,Witkin, Jim
Developing a ‘Water Battery’ for trees
''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', 9 April 2010. Accessed: 5 December 2010. and won the

Popular Science ''Popular Science'' (also known as ''PopSci'') is an American digital magazine carrying popular science content, which refers to articles for the general reader on science and technology subjects. ''Popular Science'' has won over 58 awards, incl ...

Green Tech Best of What’s New Innovation of the year award for 2010.Jannot, Mark
Best of What's New 2010: Our 100 Innovations of the Year
''

'', 16 November 2010. Accessed: 5 November 2010.AquaPro Holland Groasis Waterboxx
''

''. Accessed: 5 December 2010. The word "Groasis" is a

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formed as a

portmanteau A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of words

Background

Large land areas in the world are too dry for trees to survive. Although water may be present in the ground, it is often too deep for small trees to develop a root structure to reach. The Groasing Technology employs

biomimicry Biomimetics or biomimicry is the emulation of the models, systems, and elements of nature for the purpose of solving complex human problems. The terms "biomimetics" and "biomimicry" are derived from grc, βίος (''bios''), life, and μίμησ ...

to solve the problem of growing plants in

desert A desert is a barren area of landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to denudation. About on ...

s, eroded areas, badlands and on rocks. The purpose of this technology is to replant such areas, restore the vegetation cover and make them productive with fruit trees and vegetables.

Design

Growboxx_plantcocoon_for_5_trees_and_or_plants_(1)_kopie

The Groasis waterboxx is a

polypropylene Polypropylene (PP), also known as polypropene, is a thermoplastic polymer used in a wide variety of applications. It is produced via chain-growth polymerization from the monomer propylene. Polypropylene belongs to the group of polyolefins a ...

bucket with a lid.Parsons, Sarah
Groasis Waterboxx can grow trees in any climate – even the desert
''Inhabitat'', 4 December 2010. Accessed: 5 December 2010. It has a vertical

tunnel A tunnel is an underground passageway, dug through surrounding soil, earth or rock, and enclosed except for the entrance and exit, commonly at each end. A pipeline is not a tunnel, though some recent tunnels have used immersed tube cons ...

in the middle for two plants. A wick allows water from inside the box to trickle into the ground via

capillary action Capillary action (sometimes called capillarity, capillary motion, capillary rise, capillary effect, or wicking) is the process of a liquid flowing in a narrow space without the assistance of, or even in opposition to, any external forces li ...

. The device mimics the insulating effect bird feces provide to germinating seeds.Buczynski, Beth
New tree-growing device inspired by bird poop
''Care2'', 30 November 2010. Accessed: 5 December 2010.Coxworth, Ben
Groasis Waterboxx lets trees grow up in unfriendly places
'' GizMag'', 18 November 2010. Accessed: 5 December 2010. The box's lid is covered by tiny papillae, which create a superhydrophobic surface due to the

lotus effect The lotus effect refers to self-cleaning properties that are a result of ultrahydrophobicity as exhibited by the leaves of ''Nelumbo'', the lotus flower. Dirt particles are picked up by water droplets due to the micro- and nanoscopic architec ...

. The lid serves to funnel even the smallest amount of water down siphons into the box's central reservoir. The product functions as a plant

incubator An incubator is anything that performs or facilitates various forms of incubation, and may refer to: Biology and medicine * Incubator (culture), a device used to grow and maintain microbiological cultures or cell cultures * Incubator (egg), a de ...

, sheltering both a newly planted

sapling In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...

and the ground around it from the heat of the sun, while providing water for the plant. The lid collects water from rain and nighttime

condensation Condensation is the change of the state of matter from the gas phase into the liquid phase, and is the reverse of vaporization. The word most often refers to the water cycle. It can also be defined as the change in the state of water vapo ...

, which is then stored in the bucket. The water-filled reservoir releases small amounts (around 50 ml per day) of water into the ground by a wick to water the tree and to encourage the tree to develop a root structure. The box acts as a shield for the water in the upper ground, and this water then spreads down and out instead of being drawn to the surface and evaporated. Both

temperature Temperature is a physical quantity that expresses quantitatively the perceptions of hotness and coldness. Temperature is measured with a thermometer. Thermometers are calibrated in various temperature scales that historically have relied o ...

and

humidity Humidity is the concentration of water vapor present in the air. Water vapor, the gaseous state of water, is generally invisible to the human eye. Humidity indicates the likelihood for precipitation, dew, or fog to be present. Humidity dep ...

beneath and inside the box are more stable night and day than without. From 2003 to 2010, the development of the Groasis Waterboxx has cost $7.1 million.Binns, Corey
Invention Awards: A box that keeps plants hydrated in the desert
''

'', 25 May 2010. Accessed: 6 December 2010.

Installation

Use of the box initially involves digging a hole in the ground by a human or a machine. One to three plants are planted in the hole, and a

cardboard Cardboard is a generic term for heavy paper-based products. The construction can range from a thick paper known as paperboard to corrugated fiberboard which is made of multiple plies of material. Natural cardboards can range from grey to light b ...

panel is placed around the plants. In dry areas, the soil around the plants is inoculated with mycorrhizae to release nutrients in the soil that would otherwise be chemically inaccessible to the growing plants. A wick is inserted in the bottom of the Groasis which is then lowered over the plants and filled with water. Two lids are put on, funnels inserted and a cap plugs the top lid.A'Hearn, Peter
Groasis Waterbox tree planting demo
(Video) '' TeacherTube'', 20 September 2010. Accessed: 5 December 2010.

Testing

The box has been testing for the 3 years at

Mohamed Premier University Mohamed First University, Oujda, Morocco, was founded in 1978. The university has more than 21,200 students (2007) on the sites of Oujda and Nador (and Al Hoceima Al Hoceima ( ber, translit=Lḥusima, label= Riffian-Berber, ⵍⵃⵓⵙⵉⵎⴰ ...

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to A ...

where nearly 90%'s of plants survived with the box compared to 10% without.Fernandes; Sunil
Oil & Gas
page 34-36 ''Oil & Gas Review'', May 2010. Accessed: 5 December 2010.Growing trees in the desert, with the aid of a 'Waterboxx'
''

Voice of America Voice of America (VOA or VoA) is the State media, state-owned news network and International broadcasting, international radio broadcaster of the United States, United States of America. It is the largest and oldest U.S.-funded international br ...

'', 12 August 2010. Accessed: 5 December 2010. Apart from projects in warm arid areas, the box is being tested in

wineries A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feature warehouses, ...

and cold mountain regions.

Growboxx

Another version is called Growboxx. It is a recycled paper bucket and should not be removed after a year. The bucket itself becomes food for the tree and can be ten times cheaper.

References

External links