CO2 GRO Inc. Announces a Commercial Feasibility on Peppers with El Salvador Based Hidroexpo

Rhea-AI Summary

CO2 GRO Inc. (OTCQB: BLONF) announced the installation of a CO2 Delivery Solutions™ VCO2 system for a commercial feasibility at Hidroexpo's 1-hectare pepper greenhouse in El Salvador. This project, set to start in September 2020 and run until April 2021, aims to evaluate faster harvest times and increased yields. The CO2 delivery method is said to reduce costs by over 90% compared to traditional gassing methods, enhancing productivity in regions where CO2 enrichment is typically not practiced. The initiative could lead to wider adoption in North and South American greenhouses.

Positive

• Initiative could enhance visibility of CO2 Delivery Solutions™ technology to major distributors.
• Potential to increase pepper yields and reduce costs significantly by over 90%.

Negative

• None.

TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / August 26, 2020 / Toronto based CO2 GRO Inc. ("GROW") (TSXV:GROW)(OTCQB:BLONF)(FRA:4021) is pleased to announce that it will install a CO2 Delivery Solutions™ VCO2 system for a Commercial Feasibility at one of Hidroexpo S.A. de C.V.'s ("Hidroexpo") 1-hectare peppers greenhouse in El Salvador. Hidroexpo operates over thirty 1-hectare greenhouses all growing peppers for export to the U.S. primarily through large food distributors such as Lipman Family Farms ("Lipman") who facilitated the introduction.

The Commercial Feasibility will begin in September 2020 for one complete grow season ending in April 2021. Objectives are to assess faster time to harvest, increased pepper yield per harvest, Perimeter Protection™ against the spread of microbial pathogens and CO2 gas usage.

Lipman Family Farms owns and operates greenhouses throughout the U.S. and Canada growing a variety of produce, as well as sourcing produce from contract growers in El Salvador (Hidroexpo) and Mexico. Most greenhouses in Central and South America do not practice atmospheric enrichment of CO2 by gassing as they are open venting designs and CO2 costs are generally more expensive than in North America. GROW's CO2 Delivery Solutions™ enables these greenhouses to supplement their plants with CO2 by misting an aqueous CO2 solution directly on to the plants, regardless of the greenhouse design. Aqueous CO2 misting significantly reduces CO2 usage and costs by over 90% compared to gassing, making CO2 Delivery Solutions™ the only practical and economical method to provide CO2 to plants for greenhouses in those regions.

Rodrigo Martinez, General Manager of Hidroexpo commented, "As an innovative company, we have been searching for solutions to increase the CO2 for our plant growth. In a hot climate it is very difficult to maintain air flow while adding more CO2 in the greenhouse atmosphere. We are very excited to test the CO2 Delivery Solutions™ system as it will help us increase our production while keeping our costs low."

According to John Archibald, GROW's CEO, "We are thankful to Lipman for the introduction to Hidroexpo. This is a large commercial vegetable grower in Central America servicing both North American and South American food distributors. Success of our largest Commercial Feasibility to date will enhance the adoption of our CO2 Delivery Solutions™ systems by providing visibility of our technology's potential to major food distributors that operate North, Central and South American greenhouses."

Visit www.co2delivery.ca for more information on CO2 Delivery Solutions™ or watch this video. To see CO2 Delivery Solutions™ set up at Sacred Seeds, watch this video and skip to minute 2 and 4.30.

About CO2 GRO Inc.

GROW's mission is to accelerate the growth of all value plants safely, effectively and profitably using our patent protected advanced CO2 Delivery Solutions™. It is a commercially proven technology that is easily adopted into all covered cultivation including greenhouses, shade, hoop and tunnel houses, indoor and outdoor grow operations.

GROW's target markets are the 50 billion square feet of global greenhouse space (USDA) and the highest value crops within 4.62 billion acres of global cropland (USGS). While indoor gassing of CO2 to enhance crop yields has been practiced for decades, 85% of the world's greenhouses cannot use CO2 gassing economically due mostly to heat ventilation which causes the CO2 gas to escape. Outdoor growers cannot gas CO2 into the atmosphere to the ideal levels required of up to 1500 ppm.

GROW's CO2 Delivery Solutions™ naturally and safely dissolves CO2 gas into water creating an aqueous CO2 solution which is then misted directly on plant leaves. GROW has demonstrated improving crop yields by up to 30% with up to 30% faster growth. The CO2 solution's micro droplets create an aqueous film around the entire leaf surface, isolating the leaf from the atmosphere. This creates a diffusion gradient favoring CO2 transport into the leaf and other gases out of the leaf. Increased carbon availability enhances photosynthesis resulting in faster and larger plant growth. CO2 Delivery Solutions™ has been demonstrated on crops including cannabis, lettuce, kale, microgreens, peppers and flowers. Growers everywhere can now supplement CO2 to their crops using CO2 Delivery Solutions™, increasing plant yields and profits.

Forward-Looking Statements This news release may contain forward-looking statements that are based on CO2 GRO's expectations, estimates and projections regarding its business and the economic environment in which it operates. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to control or predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements and readers should not place undue reliance on such statements. Statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update them publicly to reflect new information or the occurrence of future events or circumstances, unless otherwise required to do so by law.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.  

For more information, please visit www.co2gro.ca or contact Sam Kanes, VP Communications at 416-315-7477 or Michael O'Connor, Manager of IR at 604-317-6197.  

SOURCE: CO2 Gro Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:
https://www.accesswire.com/603418/CO2-GRO-Inc-Announces-a-Commercial-Feasibility-on-Peppers-with-El-Salvador-Based-Hidroexpo

FAQ

What is the purpose of CO2 GRO's feasibility project with Hidroexpo in El Salvador?

The project aims to assess faster time to harvest and increased pepper yield per harvest using CO2 Delivery Solutions™.

When will the commercial feasibility project for the greenhouse in El Salvador begin and end?

The project is set to begin in September 2020 and conclude in April 2021.

How does CO2 Delivery Solutions™ reduce costs for greenhouse growers?

It reduces CO2 usage and costs by over 90% compared to traditional gassing methods.

What potential benefits does CO2 GRO expect from this project with Hidroexpo?

Success may enhance the adoption of CO2 Delivery Solutions™ among food distributors in North America and beyond.

What crops can benefit from CO2 Delivery Solutions™ according to CO2 GRO?

Crops including cannabis, lettuce, kale, microgreens, peppers, and flowers can benefit from this technology.