The Discovery

Funded by an NSF grant to a leading U.S. agricultural university, research aimed at developing a method for assessing the biodegradability of landfill-bound disposable materials took an unexpected turn. During method development, a non-hazardous biodegradable compound was found to have surprisingly beneficial effects on soil particles, leading to the creation of SoilX 66

Building upon the initial discovery, research at major agricultural universities in the US and Canada established that SoilX 66's ability to flocculate clay particles leads to the immediate formation of stable soil aggregates at low concentrations as shown in Figure 1 (here). Figure 1 also shows how permeability of water through the treated soil is also substantially improved. Consequently, the undesirable characteristics of unaggregated clay, such as wet stickiness and dry clumping, are improved, resulting in soil that is friable and mellow

Research published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at international conferences, highlighted SoilX 66's biodegradability and identified soil bacteria that can use it as a sole nitrogen or carbon source. These microorganisms, commonly found in soils, include species of Protaminobacter, Alcaligenes, and Brevibacterium. These papers also included the beneficial effects that the product has on seedling emergence leading to patents in the US, Canada, and internationally

When SoilX 66 is applied at planting, emerging seedlings encounter an improved soil environment facilitating their easy passage through the surface. Initial growth-chamber studies on tomatoes in the US demonstrated a statistically significant increase in seedling emergence at greater than 28% compared to a control with no treatment on a sandy loam. A follow-up study on tomatoes in a Canadian silt loam gave a similar result

By reducing the struggle for emergence that can weaken or even kill young plants, SoilX 66 allows seedlings to channel their energy into crucial root development for strong establishment. Consequently, these healthy and vigorous seedlings are the foundation for higher yields at maturity​