Specialty Fertilizers

ICL specializes in advanced and precise solutions for sustainable agriculture, including controlled-release fertilizers that improve nutrient absorption, prevent seepage, and reduce emissions. ICL also innovates with biodegradable coatings and leaf protection sprays, demonstrating our commitment to sustainability and addressing the food crisis, while preserving the environment. \

ICL not only provides essential minerals and fertilizers but also specializes in developing advanced, precision solutions that promote sustainable agriculture. These integrated products and solutions are designed specifically to cater to the needs of different crops, soil types, and climate conditions, and they allow to produce more food using fewer resources.

One of ICL’s key product categories is controlled-release fertilizer (CRF) products, which are considered an advanced and sustainable solution. These controlled -release fertilizers enhance nutrient absorption in plants, prevent nutrient seepage into groundwater, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. ICL’s professional R&D department and team of expert agronomists contribute to the development of CRF products.

ICL also stays up to date with emerging regulations and has launched the first biodegradable coating, which complies with the expected European regulation in 2026. Additionally, ICL has conducted research on the decline in coffee bean yields caused by scorching sun and has developed a leaf protection spray that offers effective results. The use of this spray has led to a significant increase in yields.

ICL’s commitment to sustainability and research-driven approach to developing innovative solutions can help address the emerging food crisis while preserving the environment. By continuing to invest in R&D and developing sustainable products, ICL can lead the way in promoting sustainable agriculture and ensuring food security.

Meet The Agronomists

Controlled Release Fertilizers

ICL is a global leader in controlled release fertilizers. Plants can use nutrients from Controlled Release Fertilizers (CRFs) with great efficiency. Thanks to the high nutrient use efficiency of CRFs, their localized application capability (at the plant’s root zone), and the new biodegradable coating, growers worldwide can reduce their fertilizer usage and simultaneously achieve higher quality crops and yields with a lower environmental impact. The use of CRFs can reduce the total use of fertilizers by 20% to even 50%. CRFs can reduce leaching rates by up to 55%, denitrification rates by up to 40% and volatilization rates by up to 40%. \

CRFs are applied in the soil around a plant’s root zone exactly where nutrients are most effective. CRFs contain a coating that ensures that nutrients are only released when the plant needs them. This gradual process can provide the plant with nutrition for up to a full season, and fertilizers only need to be applied once instead of multiple times a year.

CRF Research Compendium

ICL Growing Solutions has compiled a compendium of independent, scientific CRF research over the years. The compendium provides an overview of the possibilities that CRF offers to achieve environmental benefits through its higher efficiency. This results in higher yields, less leaching, less volatilization and reduced N2O losses. Official publications like this compendium can play a role in the acceptance of CRF as a solution to more efficient fertilization. In Europe, for example, CRF can play a role to achieve the Farm-to-Fork target of a 50% reduction in nutrient losses.

14.1

By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution.

15.3

By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world.

13.3

Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning.

Visit the website or LinkedIn to learn more about ICL’s CRFs.

2.4

By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters and that progressively improve land and soil quality

Biodegradable release technology

ICL brought controlled release fertilizers into a new era with the launch of Eqo.x, a groundbreaking biodegradable release technology designed for open field agriculture. This innovative solution is achieved through a coating, which will help farmers maximize agricultural crop performance, while also limiting environmental impact- reducing nutrient loss and increasing nutrient use efficiency (NUE) up to 80%.

Importantly, Eqo.x release technology is the first offering in the market to provide a controlled release fertilizer (CRF) coating for urea, which biodegrades more rapidly, and was specifically designed to meet future European fertilizer standards set to go into effect in 2026. This achievement is a key tool of both the European Farm to Fork strategy and the EU Soil Strategy for 2030, which aim to reduce nutrient loss by at least 50% by 2030. The eqo.x technology will be used in the ICL CRF brands Agrocote, Agromaster and Agroblen.

Eqo.x is the first offering in the market to provide CRF that is specifically designed to meet future European standards set to go into effect in 2026.

Osmocote

Over 50 years ago, the first generation of ICL’s Osmocote Controlled Release Fertilizers revolutionized the industry: an NPK granule, with an organic resin coating surrounding it, ensured that one application of nutrients would be sufficient for a long period of time. It marked the beginning of a whole new concept in fertilizer application. Thanks to continuous research and development, we’ve reached the fifth generation, Osmocote 5, equipped with the newest technologies and innovations to improve and grow even better plants in a more sustainable and efficient way.

Growers can reduce fertilizer usage and simultaneously achieve higher quality crops and yields with a lower environmental impact.

CRF technology is considered the fertilizer technology with the highest nutrient use efficiency. Conventional fertilizers dissolve in soil immediately after application, providing nutrition for only a short period of time. Multiple fertilizer applications are necessary to ensure that the crop receives the nutrition it requires.

Our latest sustainable innovation for CRF designed for the professional turf industry is the Eqo.x. It’s a fully biodegradable coating technology, to deliver superior turfgrass performance with improved nutrient release patterns and the highest nutrient use efficiency. In addition to being compliant with future legislation, this cutting-edge technology offers a new level of environmental efficiency and a substantially faster breakdown of nutrients, while leaving no trace- making it easier than ever to achieve turf management goals.

One single application of CRFs is sufficient to feed a crop for an entire growing season

Thanks to optimal nutrient use efficiency and precise, localized application (to the plant’s root zone), a much lower NPK input with CRFs is sufficient to reach the same or higher quality crops. Nearly 30 years of ICL trials have proven the strengths of the CRF concept. Depending on circumstances related to cultivation, CRFs can significantly reduce:

Total fertilizer use: by a rate of 20% to 50%.
Leaching: by rates at up to 55%.
Denitrification: by rates at up to 40%.
Volatilization: by rates at up to 40%.

12.2

By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources.

12.4

By 2020, achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle, in accordance with agreed international framework and significantly reduce their release to air, water and soil in order to minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment.

Polysulphate

ICL is the exclusive producer of a natural, sustainable, dependable, organic fertilizer. Polysulphate®, which is made available to plants in its natural form, delivers dependable high value with a low carbon footprint.

Polysulphate® fertilizer comes from the Polyhalite layer of rock, over 1000m below the North Sea off the North Yorkshire coast in the UK. Deposited 260 million years ago, it lies 150-170m below the potash seam at the ICL UK Boulby Mine. It contains four nutrients which makes it a unique product: Sulphur, Potassium, Magnesium and Calcium.

Introducing Polysulphate®

Field experiments conducted worldwide using Polysulphate® have demonstrated its efficacy in increasing crop yields and crop quality.

Polysulphate - for a lower carbon footprint of farming

Polysulphate fertilizer has a low carbon footprint and helps farmers reach industry carbon targets.

Perhaps the most significant aspect of Polysulphate® is its low environmental impact. Polysulphate® requires no processing and creates no waste products. The mineral is mined, crushed, screened, and bagged with no chemical intervention or process. It therefore has a low carbon footprint and helps farmers reach industry carbon targets.

ICL concluded a full Carbon Footprint analysis for Polysulphate [pdf] and has compared the findings to other common fertilizers. The calculated global warming potential value for Polysulphate is 0.034 kg CO2e per kg of product. This value was found to be the lowest out of a group of leading comparable products. In comparison, the global warming potential that was calculated for a kilo of ammonium nitrate is almost 1.2 kg CO2 or twenty times higher.

Polysulphate is certified for its use in organic agriculture in multiple countries

ICL FertilizerpluS

ICL is expanding its Polysulphate family of products, to include ICL PotashpluS (with four nutrients – K, Mg, S and Ca), ICL PKpluS (with five nutrients – P, K, Mg, S and Ca) and Polysulphate Premium shaped round, smooth and robust. This Polysulphate family of products gives farmers a different choice of applying Sulphur, rather than nitrogen-based products which run the risk of creating ammonia emissions. The prolonged availability of the sulphate in Polysulphate products benefits the crop and is more aligned to its needs. This makes them very efficient fertilizers and reduces losses through leaching.

Polysulphate online tools

ICL has developed a knowledge hub which includes tools such as calculators, apps and factsheets, so that its products can be used efficiently and effectively. See here our Polysul-fit Calculator and; our other tools.

Biostimulants

To increase food security in an ever-changing world, a multi-faceted approach is needed. ICL offers a broad range of solutions for plant nutrition and stimulation, soil treatment, seed treatment and plant health. Our product portfolio includes enhanced efficiency fertilizers and controlled-release fertilizers, soil and foliar micronutrients, secondary nutrients, biostimulants, and adjuvants.

Biostimulants are substances that promote plant growth and increase yields. Stresses caused by heat, drought, or disease limit the nutrient uptake from the roots to the plant. Bioz, the ICL biostimulants line, is an effective approach for achieving sustainable agriculture, since they stimulate soil activity, resulting in better availability of nutritional elements for the plant, reducing stress and improving nutrient uptake. They have become a vital constituent in integrated crop and soil management.

ICL’s offering of balanced fertilization includes a wide spectrum of solutions that enhance each other. Together, biostimulants and a balanced fertilization methodology, can increase plant growth and yield, increase the plant’s resistance to water stress and prevent diseases, as well as decrease the impact on the environment.

The Bioz line includes products with humic substances for a better development of the plant root, increasing soil fertility, nutrient uptake and water holding capacity such as Bioz Diamond.

Bioz Moonstone, Bioz Emerald, Bioz Gomed increase crop tolerance to abiotic stress and growth stimulation, obtaining higher yields and quality under stress conditions.

Bioz Onyx Permanent and Bioz Sapphire are products for improving hormonal balance and mineral composition of plant tissues, nutrient use efficiency, enhancing branches and nods development, flower retention, fruit setting and fruit quality.

ICL has developed biostimulants for specific functions to solve plant physiology conditions affected by environmental factors directly involved in the loss of production at specific stages of development. Bioz Quartz improves uniformity, color, and consistency of fruits favoring the formation of sugars. Bioz Jasper is a specific product for the flowering stage, increasing the flowering rate and fruit setting.

Keep Green

After 5 years of research, ICL inaugurated a new product category, launching its first biostimulant fertilizer to the market. This new ICL technology aims to mitigate the harmful effects caused by thermal and water stress. The natural biostimulant fertilizer works on plant physiology and decreases radiation levels in the leaves, leading to higher chlorophyll concentration and stomatal conductance, as well as enhancing the photosynthetic rate.

Water Soluble Fertilizers

ICL produces specialty fertilizers for fertigation (applying soluble fertilizers via the irrigation system). Fertigation is another method that allows precise nutrient application according to the demands of the crop. Fertilizer inputs through fertigation can be easily adapted to the soil, fertility status and growth stages of any crop. This increases yield while reducing nutrient leaching and volatilization of nutrients to the air, including greenhouse gasses.

ICL water soluble fertilizers are made with the cleanest raw materials, fully soluble NPKs to ensure trouble-free mixing application in fertigation systems. Drip irrigation enhances water and nutrient use efficiency in the roots zone to maximize yields. In addition, there is a line of soluble and liquid fertilizers adapted for foliar application

Fertigation delivers soluble fertilizers via irrigation systems to enhance crop production.

ICL’s well-known brands for fertigation include Peters, Universol, Agrolution, Solinure, Fertiflow, NovaNPK and Novacid. Our leading brands for foliar application are Agroleaf Power, Agroleaf Liquid and Nutrivant. ICL develops specific formulations for different applications and circumstances. There are specific formulations for specific crops, greenhouses and/or open fields, as well as for different water types.

Drip irrigation is an effective strategy to mitigate N₂O emissions compared with furrow and sprinkler irrigation systems.

Fertigation is a highly effective and flexible method that increases the potential crop’s yield. It allows growers a precise application of nutrients according to the crop’s demands, minimizing leaching and volatilization. Fertilizer inputs through fertigation can be easily adapted to the soil, fertility status and growth stages of any crop.

ICL Growing Solutions sets the standard in fertigation with its unique PeKacid™ Technology. This technology’s acidifying effect:

Enhances nutrient uptake
Lowers pH in irrigation water
Prevents clogging of irrigation drippers and pipes

13.

Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.

Discover More

Environmental Performance

Water & Wastewater

Specialty Fertilizers

Meet The Agronomists

Controlled Release Fertilizers

CRF Research Compendium

Biodegradable release technology

Osmocote

Polysulphate

Introducing Polysulphate®

Polysulphate - for a lower carbon footprint of farming

ICL FertilizerpluS

Polysulphate online tools

Biostimulants

Biostimulants

Keep Green

Water Soluble Fertilizers

Discover More

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