Phospholutions to ramp up production of its Rhizosorb fertilizer technology

Date:08-15-2024

Phospholutions Inc, a growth stage sustainable fertilizer startup, has reached a significant milestone in commercializing its flagship RhizoSorb^® technology to produce more affordable and sustainable phosphorus fertilizers at commercial scale. The company has partnered with Toros Agri, a leading fertilizer manufacturer and distributor in the European market, as the first commercial-scale producer of RhizoSorb^®, touted as The Next Generation of Phosphorus Fertilizer™.  

The partnership was formed after Phospholutions received investment during their Series A funding round from Tekfen Ventures, the corporate venture arm of Tekfen Holding, including ownership of Toros Agri.

Founded in 2016, Phospholutions has achieved a remarkable milestone with the completion of a commercial pilot in January followed by a full-scale production run in April. This achievement is especially significant for the North American and European markets, where RhizoSorb-based fertilizers are being introduced. It also represents their first major production partnership. RhizoSorb is promoted as a more economical replacement for conventional fertilizer products and is derived from ammoniated phosphate fertilizer production methods. This collaboration represents a significant leap toward offering a sustainable alternative for the world's second most essential nutrient for global food production.

Ahmet Eren, president of Toros Agri commented, ″RhizoSorb^® technology offers a unique opportunity to enhance the fertilizer production process with its simplicity and seamless integration along with the technology’s marketable advantages to customers.″

Following the pilot production run in January, Phospholutions publicized a life cycle analysis showcasing a reduction in the carbon emissions when compared to monoammonium phosphate (MAP) fertilizers by 45.2%. This analysis compared RhizoSorb produced in Turkey and imported into the United States to domestically manufactured MAP for the use in corn production.

When asked about the milestone of completing a full-scale production run, Hunter Swisher, CEO of Phospholutions, remarked that ″RhizoSorb^® is the only phosphorus efficiency product on the market that provides phosphate manufacturers an economic advantage while improving efficiency.  Every other product on the market is incorporated downstream in the value chain, limiting the ability for manufacturers to capture value in making these commodities better for the farmer. We appreciate the opportunity to work with Toros to scale production for the first time and leverage their expertise in integrating new novel ingredients into fertilizer manufacturing.″

RhizoSorb^® is a dry granular phosphorus fertilizer formulated to increase phosphorus efficiency in the soil utilizing a novel plant-driven nutrient release mechanism based on a chemical gradient rather than environmental conditions.  While its appearance resembles other dry granular fertilizers, RhizoSorb effectively reduces the rate of applied phosphorus needed to achieve the yield potential for row crops such as corn, as proven throughout the company’s five years of academic and on-farm field trials.  When asked about the partnership, Sinan Uzan, President and Founder of Tekfen Ventures, commented ″The partnership between Toros and Phospholutions marks a significant milestone for both companies leading the way in the development and marketing of industry-first technologies for the agricultural market. Our mission at Tekfen Ventures is to invest and enable new technologies like RhizoSorb to change legacy industries like agriculture.″

The two companies are on the second year of product performance trials in Turkey in crops such as corn and wheat. Phospholutions and Toros are enthusiastic about extending their partnership as they aim to enhance production capacities and offer a phosphorus fertilizer that is more affordable and sustainable to the market.