Mineral Nutrition Innovation

MICROBIAL COATING OF FERTILIZER GRANULES: WHY THIS COULD BECOME THE NEW STANDARD IN MINERAL NUTRITION

BTU and BINFIELD Launch Industrial Production of FERTIS ACTIVE NPK to Bypass Soil Nutrient Fixation

To overcome low nutrient use efficiency caused by phosphorus fixation and potassium binding in soils, a landmark commercial joint venture has successfully transitioned from a five-year R&D phase into full industrial production. This innovative technology, detailed under the framework of MICROBIAL COATING OF FERTILIZER GRANULES: WHY THIS COULD BECOME THE NEW STANDARD IN MINERAL NUTRITION, integrates a highly specialized microbial consortium directly onto individual mineral NPK grains. Developed by biotechnology leader BTU alongside mineral fertilizer producer BINFIELD, the resulting product, FERTIS ACTIVE NPK, relies on resilient, protective spore forms of Bacillus, Paenibacillus, and Priestia megaterium strains that remain viable for up to 12 months. When applied in a single field operation, these spores germinate in the rhizosphere to release organic acids and enzymes that continuously unlock bound nutrients, delivering significant yield gains across key field crops.

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Modern crop production is caught in a difficult situation: mineral fertilizer application rates keep rising, prices rise with them, yet nutrient use efficiency has remained low for years. Most of the applied phosphorus and potassium never reaches the plant: it gets fixed in the soil, converted into hard-to-access forms, or leached away. The logic of “apply more so that at least something is taken up” has long exhausted itself. The strategic task is to ensure that the nutrients already applied to the field are actually used by the crop.

Why “more fertilizer” no longer works

Even under intensive fertilization, plants use only a small fraction of the applied nutrients, and this is a challenge shared by growers in every region. Phosphorus is rapidly fixed in acidic and alkaline soils, turning into forms the root cannot absorb. Potassium is bound within mineral structures and is released slowly; during periods of intensive crop growth the plant simply cannot get it in time. The soil microbiome is often insufficiently active, especially on fields with intensive rotation and a high chemical load. The result: a nutrient deficit at critical growth stages even when total reserves are more than adequate.

The biological move: phosphorus- and potassium-mobilizers

There is a group of bacteria from the genera Bacillus and Paenibacillus, as well as the species Priestia megaterium, that possess unique metabolic properties. The microbial consortium comprises five species selected from more than ten strains that work in synergy: Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus licheniformis, Paenibacillus mucilaginosus, Paenibacillus polymyxa, and Priestia megaterium (formerly Bacillus megaterium var. phosphaticum).

Together they transform fixed phosphorus and potassium compounds into plant-available forms: they release organic acids, enzymes, phytohormones and chelating compounds that “unlock” the bound elements and, at the same time, stimulate plant development. The bacilli stimulate plant growth and mobilize phosphorus. The Paenibacillus strains produce phosphatase, phytohormones, antibiotics, and lytic enzymes, while their exopolysaccharides improve soil structure. Priestia megaterium releases phosphorus from organic and mineral bound compounds and produces silicase, an enzyme that increases the mobility of silicon and potassium.

Microbial Coating: when the granule itself becomes the carrier

A fundamentally different approach is to integrate the biological component directly into the carrier of the mineral fertilizer, applying the consortium onto every granule of mineral NPK at the production stage. This technology, called Microbial Coating, was brought to life within a joint project between BTU and BINFIELD. A specially selected microbial consortium is sprayed evenly and in a metered dose onto the granules, ensuring each carries an optimal, experimentally determined quantity of microorganisms.

Each granule simultaneously becomes a source of nutrients and a carrier of a biological activator. The distribution of bacteria across the field is as uniform as the fertilizer itself, with no risk of gaps. The grower performs one field operation instead of two, with no extra machinery passes and no cost of a separate biological product. The technology is flexible: it can be adapted to different fertilizer grades and customized to the agrochemical profile of a specific soil.

Why it stays alive: spore forms of bacteria

The key technological challenge: how to keep bacteria viable within a finished product stored in a warehouse for months. Vegetative cells die quickly, so the answer lies in spore forms. Thanks to their multilayer coat, spores are protected from desiccation and the high osmotic concentration of salts in mineral fertilizers. BTU’s laboratory studies confirmed that spore forms applied to a mineral fertilizer granule remain viable for up to 12 months across a temperature range of 6 to 30 °C, requiring no cold chain.

In a favorable environment with optimal soil moisture and temperature, the spores germinate into active vegetative forms. It is these that mobilize hard-to-access compounds and accelerate the mineralization of organic matter, providing complete nutrition throughout the entire growing season.

From idea to industrial production: five years of work

In 2020, BTU (a biotech company with its own research center and microorganism collection) and BINFIELD (a mineral fertilizer producer) united to create a complex fertilizer that actively increases element uptake. Following years of strain optimization and field testing, industrial production began in 2025 under the brand name FERTIS ACTIVE NPK. Field trials conducted over several years under varying soil and climatic conditions recorded consistent visual differences and documented clear average yield gains across key crops.

“BTU consistently works to make biological solutions a full-fledged part of modern agricultural technologies. The joint project with BINFIELD confirmed that combining a mineral fertilizer and a microbiological component in a single product gives growers a new level of efficiency.” – Vladyslav Bolokhovskyi, CEO and co-founder of the BTU Biotech Company.

“We brought together accumulated experience, effective technological solutions and practicality in one ready-to-use product. For the grower, it means that within a single operation they receive both quality fertilization and improved availability of nutrients from the soil’s reserves.” – Oleksiy Hrabovskyi, Director of Agro-Service and co-founder of BINFIELD.

BTU & BINFIELD Strategic Industrial Alliance

Oberlangen, Germany | Industrial Product Launch Briefing | June 2026 | btu-center.com