High-Performing Biorenewable Micronutrients for Agricultural Applications

Spero Energy seeks to increase the availability and competitiveness of biobased products. One area which could benefit greatly from a biobased and biodegradable product is the agricultural chelate market. Chelates are molecules which bind micronutrients essential for plant growth, and efficiently deliver the micronutrients to the plant. The main chelates used today are ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA). In the agricultural sector, EDTA and DTPA are used to deliver essential metals such as iron, copper, manganese, and zinc to plants. Despite the widespread use of EDTA and DTPA, growing bodies of evidence suggest that use of these chelates is leading to a host of environmental problems including contamination of domestic and global water sources. Beyond the agricultural sector, these chelates are used extensively in domestic and industrial applications, further contributing to the water pollution problem.Through this project, Spero Energy, Inc. is developing chelates which are modeled after natural plant materials and designed to be biodegradable. Spero Energy will produce these biodegradable chelates in our chemistry laboratory located in Thousand Oaks, CA. Spero plans to produce chelates which can bind micronutrients, deliver the micronutrients to plants, then biodegrade quickly into non-toxic components. The chelates will be tested to measure how well they can bind the micronutrients and to ensure biodegradability using industry standard methods. After Spero has selected its highest performing and biodegradable chelate, we will work with industry experts to bring this much needed technology to mass production. Through commercialization of high performing, biodegradable chelates, Spero Energy seeks to help the agricultural community grow the foods we need without causing water pollution.