Overview
CRONA is a system that replaces fertilizers as a product.
It does not produce them in factories, does not transport them, and does not apply them to the field.
It does something different — it creates plant nutrition directly inside the soil during field operation.
In the conventional model, a farmer buys fertilizers made from gas, shipped across the world, and spread over the field. With CRONA, this entire chain simply does not exist.
Instead, the system uses soil, water, and air — and in a single tractor pass converts bound elements into an active form, the same form that plants can absorb.
Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium are already in the soil — but they are locked.
CRONA unlocks them.
Nitrogen is in the air — CRONA binds it.
Water is no longer just water — it becomes a carrier of nutrients.
And this does not happen over a season.
It happens instantly.
At the moment the tractor passes, processes that normally take years are triggered in microseconds.
As a result, CRONA does not improve fertilization. It removes the need for it.
Applications
CRONA is designed for agricultural use, primarily in crop production systems where fertilizers are required for yield optimization.
Primary use cases:
- Grain production (wheat, barley, oats)
- Legume cultivation
- Root crops (potatoes)
- Large-scale farming operations
Typical scenarios:
- Regions with limited fertilizer availability
- High-cost fertilizer markets
- Areas dependent on imported gas-based inputs
Industries and users:
- Commercial farms
- Agricultural cooperatives
- Agro-industrial enterprises
Scale:
- Medium to large-scale agricultural operations (100–10,000+ hectares)
Operating Principle
CRONA operates during a standard soil preparation pass using a tractor-mounted system.
The soil is first mechanically loosened to create a uniform and conductive structure. Water is then introduced into the loosened layer, forming a conductive medium. A short, high-energy impulse is delivered into the wetted soil through a contact system.
This creates an electrical discharge within the soil, similar to a localized lightning strike. As a result:
- Bound soil compounds break down
- Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and microelements become available
- Nitrogen oxides (NO₂, NO₃) are formed in situ
Processes that normally take years occur almost instantly.
Additionally, atmospheric nitrogen is fixed during operation, introducing new nutrients without external inputs.
The process also modifies soil structure and activates biological processes, resulting in long-term fertility improvement.
Key Parameters
|Parameter|Conventional Agriculture|CRONA|
|—|—|—|
|Yield increase|30–50% (with fertilizers)|Up to 100–300%|
|Nitrogen availability|External input required|Generated in-field|
|Energy dependency|High (gas-based production)|Low (tractor-based)|
|Water use|Irrigation only|Irrigation + nutrition|
|Operating cost|High (fertilizers + logistics)|Reduced|
Typical values:
- Productivity: 3–4 hectares per hour
- Water usage: 10–15 m³ per hectare
- Energy consumption: ~25 kWh per hectare
- Soil particle size after treatment: ~2 microns
- Active surface increase: 100–1000×
- Nitrogen increase: from ~17 mg to ~1115 mg (≈65×)
- Atmospheric nitrogen fixation: up to 600 g per ton of water
Architecture and Components
The system consists of a tractor-mounted modular unit:
- Mechanical tillage unit (plow/cultivator)
- Water tank (1–2 m³)
- PTO-driven generator
- Energy storage (capacitors)
- Pulse generation unit
- Multi-point electrode system
- Control and monitoring system
All components operate as a single integrated system during field movement.
The architecture is modular and can be adapted to different tractor platforms and working widths.
Advantages
Technical advantages
- Instant activation of soil nutrients
- Increased surface area and reactivity
- Combined physical, chemical, and biological effects
- Single-pass operation
Economic advantages
- Elimination of fertilizer costs (~$150–300/ha)
- Reduced fuel and logistics costs
- Increased yield (up to $3000/ha additional revenue)
- Total effect: ~$3300/ha
Environmental advantages
- No chemical fertilizer input
- Reduced dependency on gas-based ammonia
- Improved soil structure and long-term fertility
Strategic advantages
- Independence from fertilizer supply chains
- Protection from price volatility
- Increased resilience to geopolitical disruptions
- Stable agricultural output
Integrations
CRONA integrates with existing agricultural systems:
- Standard tractors (150–350 hp)
- Conventional tillage equipment
- Irrigation systems
Potential integration with:
- GPS-based precision farming
- Farm management systems
- Monitoring platforms (soil sensors, yield mapping)
Deployment & Operation
Deployment requires minimal infrastructure changes.
Implementation steps:
- Tractor compatibility check
- Installation of trailed module
- Field calibration
Operating conditions:
- Works best in moist soils
- Requires water supply
- Suitable for standard agricultural environments
Operation:
- Single-pass field treatment
- Standard tractor operation
- No additional chemical handling
Technology Readiness Level (TRL)
Current level: TRL 4–6 (prototype / pilot stage)
Completed:
- Concept validation
- Laboratory testing
- Engineering design
Next steps:
- Field pilot projects
- Industrial validation
- Certification and regulatory approval
Market Potential
The global fertilizer market exceeds $200+ billion annually, with nitrogen fertilizers representing the largest segment.
CRONA targets:
- Fertilizer replacement
- Cost reduction in agriculture
- Supply chain independence
Potential adoption spans global agriculture, particularly in regions affected by fertilizer shortages and price volatility.
Typical Project Economics
- Cost savings: ~$300 per hectare
- Yield increase value: up to ~$3000 per hectare
- Total benefit: ~$3300 per hectare
Example:
- 1000 hectares → ~$3.3 million per season
Payback period:
- Within 1 season (under optimal conditions)
Risk Factors
- Soil conditions (dry or rocky soils reduce efficiency)
- Equipment wear (electrodes require maintenance)
- Certification requirements
- Conservative adoption in agriculture
- Integration with existing farm practices
Related Technologies
Part of ARBOK's broader family of electro-physical soil and resource activation technologies, sharing its core principle of using localized electrical discharge to unlock bound nutrients without chemical inputs.