Last month we looked at the development history of PlantCatalyst® and the magnificent results it showed when introduced in Zambia. Local field trials and research projects demonstrated astonishing potential. This month we look at the benefits it poses for farmers.

Farmers who use PlantCatalyst® can expect a significant reduction in fertiliser usage: Applying PlantCatalyst® allowed farmers to reduce fertiliser usage by up to 50%, without sacrificing yield.

As less fertiliser was needed to grow the plants in the trials, a reduction in the cost was observed when PlantCatalyst® was applied. For soya beans, cotton and groundnuts, the production cost was decreased by up to 9%, which is the same as saving US$ 26 per hectare. In maize, the reduction of costs was up to US$100 per hectare.

The yield increase and thus the profit obtained after using PlantCatalyst® was outstanding. In soya beans, the profit increment reached 41%, compared to the trial with only fertiliser. For the cotton field, an increment of 43% in the profit was observed, the same as US$180 per hectare. In the case of the groundnuts field, the increment on the profit was about 10% compared with the trial without PlantCatalyst®. In the maize trail, the yield increased by 18% per hectare compared to the treatment with only fertiliser.

It is known that the use and application of fertiliser is related to CO2 emissions. Using PlantCatalyst® reduced the quantity of fertiliser needed per hectare, which consequently lead to a decrease of the effect of greenhouse gas emissions. As the best results were obtained applying half the recommended quantity of fertiliser for all four crops, the reduction of CO2 emissions was about 50%.

The great thing about PlantCatalyst® is that it can be used with any agricultural operation and on any plant species, so it is very easily adoptable. In the USA, PlantCatalyst® has worked well on a variety of crops, including maize, cotton and soya beans, as well as in many plants and vegetables in greenhouses.

PlantCatalyst® has helped many farmers to improve their yields, minimizing losses and increasing the way plants uptake nutrients from fertiliser. “But the mission of PlantCatalyst® is to go beyond simply putting more money in people’s pockets,” Dr John Willard, Marketing Manager of PlantCatalyst®, says. “The greater cause is to help feed the world and we’re proud to say that the Zambia expansion has been a great first step in that direction.”

PlantCatalyst® is now available!

You can get supplies of PlantCatalyst® from AgriFocus Ltd. Their headquarters is in Lusaka along Buyantashi Road in the Heavy Industrial area. The other main distribution agents are:

Pamoza Agro in Lusaka town along Chachacha Road north end, +260-968-624-712 Pamoza Agro in Mpongwe, +260-974-881-674,

AgMart in Choma, +260-977-898-587 /+260-969-592-925 / +260-964-637-637,

AgMart in Mkushi, +260-976-264-121 / +260-968-265-774,

AgMart in Mumbwa, +260-962-614-074 / +260-977-855-867,

Technical Service Services in Livingstone, +260-976-553-035 /+260-975-270-952,

Technical Service Services in Kitwe, +260-078-388-492 /260-975-271-065,

Technical Service Services in Samfya, +260-975-271-346, and other local based business agents that are being created throughout the country.