
Efficient delivery of nutrients to crops
The use of synthetic complexing agents for delivery of nutrients to the crop is very common, and has its advantages.
However, the use of synthetic complexing agents has some disadvantages: the synthetic complexing agents that are used are practically non degradable in the soil or else in the environment.
Moreover, the common chelates used for this purpose (EDTA and similar chelates) may hold the metal too strongly, and this results in poor availability to the plant.
On the other hand, the use of biodegradable (or chemically degradable) complexing agents is problematic because their activity is limited in time, since they exist as functional entities for a relatively short time.
We are developing a completely novel solution to this problem: we are developing a tool for keeping the metal ions protected until the release is triggered by the plant itself.
The protective molecule is readily degradable after the release of the fertilizer.

