The research and development carried out into smart fertilizers by British company Levity Crop Science has been adopted by OMEX® Agrifluids USA, a California-based specialty manufacturer, giving U.S. growers access to unique products that enable crops from almonds to potatoes to better utilize input applications.
“As an industry, we’re under an obligation to find ways of getting more from less,” said Mike Williams, CEO at OMEX® Agrifluids USA. “That means finding ways to improve crop production, increasing yield while reducing waste and providing opportunities to lower our reliance on harsh chemicals.
“The technology resulting from Levity’s work focuses on these core aspects and it’s like nothing else in the market,” Williams added. “We’re thrilled to be working with U.S. growers to give them access to Levity’s unique insights and some of the best European agricultural technology.”
One of the first products is a stabilized amine, using Levity’s patented LimiN technology. Marketed as Cell Power® SizeN®, independent trials demonstrated an increase in potato yields of nearly $400 per acre following foliar application.
“By exposing the crop to bursts of amine nitrogen, it encourages the plant to focus on reproductive growth rather than vegetative growth,” Williams said. “Pacific Northwest growers have embraced it for potatoes, but it’s also proved its mettle with fruit and vegetable producers in California, Michigan and Florida.
“Amine nitrogen is fresh out the lab and isn’t yet widely understood, compared to established nitrogen sources such as urea,” Williams said, “but once growers grasp its technicalities, and they see how well it performs, they begin to see the opportunities it offers to change the way they grow a crop.”
LoCal
Another of Levity’s smart technologies, LoCal, marketed as Cell Power® Calcium Gold and Cell Power® Calcium Platinum, targets calcium efficacy. A key nutrient for many types of fruit, Levity’s proprietary science again directs the plant to use calcium in a different way.
“OMEX® already has a great reputation for calcium management know-how,” Williams said, “but when we evaluated LoCal as an additive to our own technology, we couldn’t wait to get these Cell Power® products out to growers.
“The effect on conditions such as tip burn and bitter pit is striking, despite the product’s lower applied delivery of calcium.”
David Marks, managing director at Levity, said it’s important that prospective partners understands how the company’s products are developed. “We listen to growers to discover and understand their challenges — and then find ways to solve those challenges through crop science, working backwards from the desired outcome,” Marks said. “That brings a different perspective to our products, and a different approach in the way they’re sold and supported at the grower and advisor level. Mike and his team really respect our approach, particularly in translating what can be complicated science into practical, grass-roots advice for the grower.
This Story was Covered in…
