“Group 3 fertiliser” is a natural or synthetic substance or organism/s that improve/s the growth or yield of plants or the physical, chemical or biological conditions of the soil and does not qualify for registration as a group 1 or 2 fertiliser.
This includes:
- Biofertiliser (Fungi, Mycorrhizae, bacteria)
- Soil enhancers (water retention)
- Fulvic and humic acid
- Sea weed
- Amino Acids
- Products of plant and animal origin (exclude bone and blood meal)
- Fertiliser coatings
- Plant Growth Regulators
- Novel products
Speciality fertilisers can be applied along with irrigation water, or in a controlled-release way where a pre-plant application releases nutrients for the plant throughout the time when it is growing. Speciality fertilisers might also be applied by foliar feeding where the plant absorbs nutrients through its leaves rather than through the roots.
Owing to some promising results, this is an area that has caught the attention of role players from all corners of the market, from the agrochemical to the organic/sustainable agriculture sectors.
Source: DALRRD presentation at FertASA workshop, November 2017 (see last heading).
Contents
Contents
Role players
Association
- Fertilizer Society of Southern Africa (Fertasa) Tel: 012 349 1450 www.fertasa.co.za
Companies
- ABM Africa Division Tel: 018 632 2077 www.abm1st.co.za
- AfriKelp Tel: 021 551 3556 http://afrikelp.com
- Agri Technovation https://agritechnovation.co.za
- Agrilibrium Tel: 012 803 5663 http://agrilibrium.co.za
- Agro-Hytec Tel: 021 863 2884 www.agrohytec.co.za
- Agron Tel: 013 262 6671 www.agron.co.za
- Aquasol Nutri Tel: 018 294 8901/2 http://aquasolnutri.com
- Biodyne South Africa Tel: 060 526 0434 www.biodyne.co.za
- Biofix South Africa Tel: 011 409 5000 www.biofix.co.za
- Biogrow Tel: 028 313 2054 www.biogrow.co.za
- Biotechnica 031 792 9860 https://biotechnica.co.uk/
- Carbon Fertiliser Technologies Tel: 042 283 0506 www.cft-sa.com
- Ecocal Tel: 016 932 2246 www.ecocal.co.za
- Eco-Green Agri Tel: 021 871 1303 https://ecogreenagri.com
- Efficient Microbes Tel: 031 266 2935 www.efficientmicrobes.co.za
- ExploGrow Tel: 041 581 2344 www.explogrow.com
- farmSPEC Tel: 031 564 9948 www.farmspec.co.za
- Fleuron Tel: 011 487 3825 www.fleuron.co.za
- Geodyn Solutions Tel: 011 100 5163 http://geodynsolutions.com
- Ground-up Fertilisers Tel: 072 439 0456 / 082 881 0301 www.ground-up.co.za
- Gromor Tel: 031 782 3105 www.gromor.co.za
- Haifa Chemicals RSA Ltd Tel: 021 982 0309 www.haifa-group.com Haifa Group is a global leading supplier of specialty plant nutrients and food phosphates. It operates in more than 100 countries across five continents.
- Hygrotech SA Tel: 012 545 8000 www.hygrotech.co.za
- INCOTEC South Africa Tel: 033 386 1560 www.incotec.com/sa/en
- Intelichem Tel: 021 881 8500 http://intelichem.co.za
- Karabos Natural Farming Tel: 082 443 7950 www.karabos.co.za
- Kelpak Tel: 021 786 2090 www.kelpak.com Liquid seaweed biostimulant
- Kimleigh Chemicals Tel: 018 293 1028 www.kimleigh.co.za
- Kynoch Fertilizers Tel: 011 317 2000 www.kynoch.co.za
- Langplaas Organics Tel: 012 252 3653 https://langplaasorganics.co.za
- Liquigro Holdings Tel : 021 535 5331 www.liquigro.co.za
- Madumbi Sustainable Agriculture Tel: 086 104 5261 https://madumbi.co.za
- MBF International Tel: 082 738 0080 www.mbfi.co.za
- Microbial Solutions (Pty) Ltd Tel: 087 094 1179 www.microbial.co.za
- Metson Tel: 011 792 8968 www.metson.co.za Metson is an agricultural manufacturing business with its main focus on a complete range of ORGANIC and GLOBALG.A.P. compliant water soluble and liquid chelated foliar feeds, liquid fertilisers, growth stimulants, crop specific nutrition, seed coatings, spray, sanitisers and rinse aids.
- Mycoroot Tel: 083 636 0706 www.mycoroot.co.za
- Nulandis Tel: 011 823 8000 https://nulandis.com and https://supplant.me
- NutriCo SA Tel: 011 392 4072 www.nutrico.co.za
- Olmix SA www.olmix.com
- Omnia Specialities Tel: 709 8888 www.omnia.co.za and www.fertilizer.co.za
- Oro Agri Tel: 021 850 0667 www.oroagri.co.za and www.rovensa.com
- Profert Tel: 018 293 3530 www.profert.co.za
- Rhino Agrivantage Tel: 041 451 3197 http://rhinoagrivantage.co.za
- Rolfes Agri Tel: 012 803 0145 https://rolfesagri.co.za
- Sidi Parani Tel: 018 298 2817 www.sidiparani.co.za
- Sienna Bionatec Tel: 018 290 5297 www.siennabionatec.com
- Soygro Tel: 018 292 1907 www.soygro.co.za
- Stimuplant Tel: 012 802 0940 www.stimuplant.co.za
- Technifert Tel: 021 975 4633 http://radiclegroup.co.za/technifert
- Tessenderlo Group Tel: 079 825 9612 www.cropvitality.com/en and www.novasource.com
- Timac Agro Tel: 087 551 0400 www.timacagro.co.za
- TriCal Crop Protection Africa Tel: 072 134 6780 www.tricalafrica.com
- World Focus Tel: 013 665 4412 www.molcastagri.com
- Zylem Tel: 033 347 2893 www.zylemsa.co.za
Websites & publications
Visit the websites listed earlier on this page.
Neil Miles, renowned soil scientist, runs the Agrispex Soil Productivity Expertise website. Find the biostimulant option at http://agrispex.co.za/category/biostimulants.
Find the reports by Markets And Markets at www.marketsandmarkets.com. These include:
- Biostimulants Market by Active Ingredient (Acid-Based & Extract Based), by Application Type (Foliar, Soil, & Seed), by Crop Type (Row Crops, Fruits & Vegetables, and Turf & Ornamentals) & by Region – Global Trends & Forecasts
- Biofertilizers Market by Type (Nitrogen-fixing, Phosphate-solubilizing & Potash- mobilizing), Microorganisms (Rhizobium, Azotobacter, Azospirillum, Cyanobacteria & Phosphate-Solubilizing Bacteria), Application, Crop Type & by Region – Global Forecast
- Water-soluble Fertilizers Market by Type (Nitrogenous, Phosphatic, Potassic, and Micronutrients), by Application (Fertigation and Foliar Application), by Crop Type (Field, Horticultural, and Turf & Ornamentals) & by Region – Global Trends and Forecast
Find the presentations given at the FERTASA Biofertilizer Workshop (November 2017) under “Events” at www.fertasa.co.za. These include “Registration of Biological Remedies vs. Bio-Fertilizers in South Africa” by Thilivhali Nepfumbada (of the then DALRRD) and “Biofertilizers, Biostimulants, Biopesticides: Definitions, Differences & Challenges” by Stephanie Roberts (Omnia). The bioproducts market, currently worth US$3 Billion, is predicted to reach US$11 Billion by 2025.
Watch videos on YouTube like “PHC Film: Soil is a living organism”, “The Magic of Soil” and “Using Biofungicides, Biostimulants and Biofertilizers”.
Some articles
- Read the blog “Speciality fertilisers: Soygro before parliamentary committee” in which the Soygro director argues for a different category for biological products (they are not chemicals!)
- Human, U. 2018, November 23. “Kelp: How seaweed stimulates plant growth”. Bizcommunity. Available at www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/476/184655.html



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