Controlled-release fertilizer (CRF) specialist Pursell Agri-Tech has filed a non-provisional patent with the US Patent and Trademark Office for its biodegradable coating components and application process.

Based in Sylacauga, Alabama, and founded in 1904, Pursell Agri-Tech has a history in fertilizer coating, beginning with sulphur-coated urea in the 1960s to becoming a market leader in polymer-coated fertilizer granules.

The company says it is in end-stage research and development for a coating technology that will enable commercialization of CRF products meeting European Union biodegradability standards.

The low-temperature process enables the incorporation of biostimulants and microbes, says the company.

“This unique capability allows Pursell to deliver a biodegradable CRF product with nutrient uptake and a biostimulant package tailored to a crop’s specific needs,” the company said in its 22 April release.

“Our current coating technology utilizes an extremely thin membrane, which already decreases the amount of polyurethane used in the process. This biodegradable technology, coupled with biostimulant inclusion, has the potential to be a true game-changer for both Pursell and the fertilizer industry at large,” said Joe Brady, Pursell CFO and Sustainability Initiatives Lead. “When introduced, our biofortified, biodegradable CRF products will offer the broad benefits of our current products, without any of the potential effects of non-biodegradable coatings.”

For exclusive interview with Chairman of Pursell Agri-Tech, Taylor Pursell, see the first New AG International e-book on SCRSFs from 2021. Read here.