Comparisons with existing products

AustraBlend® SuperSorb is unique in the fact that it addresses the two main deficiencies
in Middle Eastern sands, namely:

• Water conservation (by the inclusion of smectite clays) which bind, hold and make available water and dissolved nutrients to the plant.

• Increased nutrient profile of the soil (derived from the inclusion of composted green organics) which release significant amounts of macro and micro nutrients into the soil as they break down.

SuperSorb can be shipped without the organic compost, it being added in the importing country, provided that country has the capacity to produce surplus organic compost.

Historically there have been two distinct products marketed in the Middle East:

• Synthetic water saving products, including water crystals, etc - these are man made products which hold amounts of water but this water is held under high soil water tension making it unavailable for plant utilisation. These products break down over time and have a relatively short lifespan.
  
  Soil water tension - the degree to which water "clings" to soil components. The higher the soil water tension the more energy is required by plants to "pull" the water away from soil particles. If water is held at too high a tension plants will reach wilting point and die, even though there is still water in the soil. Synthetic water saving products are known for holding water at high soil water tension so that although they absorb large amounts of water the plants cannot access it. SuperSorb holds water at low tension making water and nutrients maximally available to plant roots.
• Soil mediums which include coco peat, compost, etc - these products have a high level of organic matter but break down very quickly and have usually totally degraded within nine months without providing any additional nutrients to the soil.
  
  Due to their very small size, when clay particles are added to sand they will eventually filter down through the sand to a level below the root zone making them ineffectual. SuperSorb overcomes this problem by the addition of compost which forms the "glue" that binds the clay particles to the sand and keeps them at the correct level.
  
  Because Austrablend SuperSorb is a "soil conditioner" and is designed to improve the complete soil profile (a concept that has not been implemented before) there are actually no other comparable products on the market.