Urbana, Ill.-A University of Illinois researcher, with the help of Archer Daniels Midland Co., has developed a line of naturally-derived fertilizers believed to be ideal for golf course and residential use without impacting surface and groundwater and increasing turf pH. Turf specialist Tom Fermanian has turned lysine, a bio-product from fermented corn also found in many protein foods, into a high nitrogen nutrient that will be marketed by ADM under the brand name NaturStim. “One advantage of these lysine-based products is that they dissolve quickly in water and can be mixed with other turf products that are normally applied as a spray,” said Fermanian. “Lysine in its granular form is 15 percent nitrogen and soluble in water so it is quickly available for turf use, similar to most synthetic fertilizers.” He said in tests three formulations of lysine were rated equal in quality when compared with ammonium sulfate, the current fertilizer industry standard used by most golf courses. The same results were obtained with Sustane, another natural fertilizer product, and earlier with urea. “Research shows that the NaturStim products perform as well as synthetic fertilizers, but have the added benefit of providing golf course managers with a more natural alternative to traditional fertilizers,” said Fermanian. ADM, which provided part of the research funding, intends to have NaturStim available for residential use as well as commercial applications.
Transparency Across the Fertilizer Value-Chain