Series B Investment Proposal

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SOLUTIONS CENTER PRECISE WATER
MANAGEMENT EFFECTIVE SALINITY PRACTICES
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Industry Issue

• THE PROBLEM
• Many Golf Course Superintendents develop
  flushing cycles based on a calendar program with
  little or no real knowledge of how much salt is
  in their soil profile and what levels are
  damaging
• IS GETTING WORSE
• The trend in the Golf Course management industry
  toward utilizing effluent, brackish, and other
  irrigation sources with marginal quality will
  continue to expand.
• IN EXPECTED REGIONS
• Arid climates (ex. Desert Southwest)
• Coastal regions using brackish water or from sea
  spray
• Emerging countries with poor water quality
• Metropolitan areas relying on STP discharge
• AND FROM UNEXPECTED SOURCES.
• Salts from irrigation water collected from
  streets, roads, etc. where salt compounds are
  used for melting of snow ice
• Salts from fertilizers and amendments contain
  varying levels of salt

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Customer Problem Case Study Desert Mountain (AZ)

• Many of the most recognizable courses in
  Scottsdale, AZ have been mandated to use the
  discharge from the Scottsdale sewage treatment
  plant.
• Discharge TDS ranges from 800 ppm to 1400 ppm
  seasonally.
• Negative impacts to soil structure and quality of
  playing surfaces were seen almost instantly.

• Expense Issue
• Management programs (i.e. leaching, acid
  injection, frequent Gypsum applications, etc.)
  are necessary to combat the negative impacts from
  the salt loading.

• Monitoring Issue
• The challenge with managing salts is knowing how
  frequently and how aggressively the leaching and
  amendment practices need to be performed.

• Treatment Issue
• How can we confirm that the programs implemented
  have succeeded in removing or diluting the salts
  effectively?

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AST Solution Case Study Desert Mountain GC (AZ)

• Customer and AST agronomist evaluated current
  leaching programs and baseline salinity levels
  pre and post flushing using soil sensors
• Customer and AST agronomist established
  acceptable salinity levels in greens and fairways
  based on real time and historical soil sensor
  readings
• Soil salinity levels at 2 inches and 6 inches
• Monitored over several months through multiple
  flushing and irrigation cycles
• Program designed for gradual reduction in
  flushing irrigation intervals and comparing
  salinity levels during and after each flushing
  cycle

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AST Solution Case Study Desert Mountain GC (AZ)
Jan 3 Fertilizer Event (8-0-16) with 35 min of
water
Jan 10 Fertilizer Event (15-3-8) with 25 min of
water
Jan 17 Fertilizer Event (K-Power) with 15 min of
water
Jan 19 Rain Event (1/2 inch)
Jan 31 Rain Event (1/2 inch)

• Salinity spikes seen when irrigation is applied,
  indicating impact of brackish irrigation water.
• Jan 31 rainfall event shows decline in salinity
  following the rain.

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Customer ResultsCase Study Desert Mountain GC
(AZ)

• Insights gained from using AST sensor system

• Salt Insight 1
• Prior assumption was that 1 flushing every 2
  weeks was appropriate based on the guess-timate
  that salts reached 650 ppm
• Discovered 650 ppm reached after 4 weeks and that
  the amount of water being used to flush greens
  and fairways could be adjusted based on real time
  salinity readings.

• Salt Insight 2
• Previous flushing run times of 90 minutes were
  reduced to 45 minutes based on real time
  knowledge of salinity levels being diminished in
  the soil on certain greens
• Increased run times on others due to salt residue
  at the bottom of the profile

• Customer able to reduce green leaching intervals
  by 50 and measure more effective flushing run
  times to see residual salts in the upper or lower
  part of the soil profile.
• Also able to stretch flushing irrigation
  intervals more consistently on the fairways.

Change Practice Results
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Customer ResultsCase Study Desert Mountain GC
(AZ)

• Irrigation water
• Attributes a reduction of 40 ac./ft. (approx. 13
  million gallons) with sensory feedback. At 1 per
  1000 gallons, this was a 13,000 savings.
• Gypsum
• Reduced flushings due to sensory feedback from 24
  events per year down to 12.
• 12 fewer events x 1500 lbs. of gypsum / event
  18,000 lbs. (9 tons) less Gypsum needed, which at
  225/ ton was a 2,025 savings.
• Labor
• Required to apply gypsum, at 8 man/hours x 12
  applications x 10.50/hr. for a 1,008 savings
• Fertilizers
• Not flushed through due to reduced leaching
• Potassium Reduction Down by 8 lbs./1000 sq.ft. K
  applied 8 lbs of K / 1000 x 150,000 sq.ft. of
  greens applying 0-0-50 2,400 lbs product x
  .35/ lb. 840 saved
• Nitrogen Reduction Down 2 lbs of N / 1000 x
  150,000 sq.ft. of greens applying a 13-15 greens
  grade product 1,950 lbs. product x .37 / lb.
  722 saved

First Year Savings Water (13,000) Gypsum (
2,025) Labor ( 1,008) Fertilizer (
1,562) Savings Yr 1 (17,595)
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Additional Insights

• Fertility Release
• Customer now believes that he can accurately
  monitor fertility release and impact on overall
  salinity
• Confirmed Sensor Accuracy
• Customer validated that salinity trends are
  consistent with lab test results from Spectron
  Labs.
• Ranges are within /- 2 between lab and sensors
  and the trending of salinity up or down is
  consistent.
• Using Normal Irrigation as a Flushing event
• Customers with relatively low salinity levels can
  now change each deep irrigation cycle to a
  flushing event.

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Summary

• Flush Salts Based on Fact versus Feel
• Improve Playability based on flushing only when
  necessary
• Remote Access to Soil Conditions-Monitor Salinity
  Levels From the Office, Home, Trade Shows, or on
  Vacation
• Reduce Labor Costs Through Reduced Flushing Times
• Improve Turf Health by applying large amounts of
  water only when necessary

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SOLUTIONS CENTER PRECISE WATER
MANAGEMENT EFFECTIVE SALINITY PRACTICES
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SALINTY SLIDE SHOWING FLUSHING WITH REDUCED FLUSH
TIME AND SALT REMOVAL