Lystek steps up amid fertilizer shortages with increased production and sales of its LysteGro fertilizer brand.
By Andrew Joseph, Farms.com; Image courtesy of Lystek International
In response to the global fertilizer shortage and demand for locally produced fertilizer that supports improved crop yield, Lystek International has increased the production of its LysteGro brand of fertilizer.
The past year has seen an increased demand for LysteGro as farmers’ more traditional sources for chemical and synthetic fertilizers either cost too much or are simply unavailable—still the result of economic shutdowns owing to Covid, as well as a backlog of global supply chains.
Because of increased extreme weather events and a transition towards more sustainable agriculture, farmers have become more aware of and interested in soil health and climate resilience that can be achieved via the application of organic matter.
Using the company’s own Lystek THP technology, Lystek can convert municipal biosolids and non-hazardous organic residuals into a Class A-quality fertilizer it calls LysteGro.
This product is a concentrated liquid (13 to 16 percent TS) fertilizer and is sold for bulk application to local farmers.
LysteGro is designated as a fertilizer by the Canadian Food and Inspection Agency (CFIA) and is licensed by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) as a bulk commercial fertilizer.
LysteGro has a proven performance as a commercial fertilizer replacement with predictable nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium. It is an affordable source of micronutrients and includes valuable organic matter to improve soil health and provide resilience against severe weather conditions.
The year 2022 showed substantial growth for LysteGro’s sales as the company scaled operations to manage, sell, and apply 35 percent more fertilizer than the previous year, amounting to a total of 80 million US gallons (>300,000 m3 per year).
With increased wastewater flows and fertilizer demand outpacing supply, substantially higher product volumes were produced and sold across all facilities.
Notable contributors were the two regional Organic Material Recovery Centers (OMRC) as well as the addition of another on-site installation in Michigan at the South Huron Valley Utility Authority. The OMRCs are owned and operated by Lystek and serve the Southern Ontario/Greater Toronto and San Francisco Bay/Northern California areas, respectively.
The South Huron Valley Utility Authority commissioned the Class A Lystek THP technology in the summer of 2022, kicking off the first LysteGro application season in the state of Michigan with over 1.5 million gallons produced and sold to local farmers.
Marketing for 2023 is well underway, with local fertilizer demand continuing to increase. The company expects substantial program growth to continue in Michigan with the addition of a second facility at the Commerce Township WWTP, beginning fertilizer production in fall 2023. This will continue to divert more nutrients from landfills and produce a biosolids fertilizer product to help local farms access these valuable resources affordably.
Lystek’s Canadian flagship facility, the Southgate OMRC, celebrated its 10th operations anniversary in June 2023 while also surpassing a major LysteGro milestone in July with over 1 million cubic meters, or more than 260 million US gallons produced, sold, and applied to local agricultural lands over the history of facility operations. More than 75,000 acres of land have been fertilized locally, enhancing the productivity and profitability of these agricultural operations.
"We’ve continued to innovate to move more fertilizer and maximize the use of the product for our agricultural customers. LysteGro is helping farmers in the region make the most out of their acres with increasing crop yields," stated Lloyd Brubacher, the LysteGro Program Manager for Highland Custom Farms.
Harvey Martin, the owner and President of Saugeen Agri Services Ltd. added: "LysteGro is a useful and innovative solution for sustainable farming, and it’s exciting to see companies taking proactive steps toward environmental sustainability."
LysteGro was first introduced to the California marketplace in early 2017 and has seen steady growth in annual sales each year. The extended drought over the last decade in California has driven the transition to more sustainable farming practices. Over the past year, in particular, demand from farmers has increased significantly as their traditional sources for chemical and synthetic fertilizers either made costs excessively high or were unavailable. In 2022 alone, Lystek sold and applied over 30 million gallons of LysteGro to regional farmers and ranchers in need of a safe fertilizer alternative—a 30 percent increase over 2021. This year is well on track for a record-setting year, with spring sales and application rates more than 150 percent higher than what was achieved in 2022.
"California ranchers know about sustainability. By using natural fertilizers, they [can] build up soil organic matter. This carbon improves soil health and, in turn, improves forage production, which equals higher average daily weight gains for cattle. By using locally produced products like LysteGro, ranchers [can] improve their bottom line," commented Jacob Collins, Product Coordinator, Lystek.
Lystek International is a division of the Tomlinson Group of Companies and is considered to be North America's leading provider of Thermal Hydrolysis solutions for the sustainable management of biosolids and organics, servicing over 60 public and private customers.
Lystek THP converts biosolids and non-hazardous organic residuals into a high-solids liquid, multi-use product for full-cycle resource recovery. Its products and processes include the LysteMize process for optimizing anaerobic digestion and biogas production; LysteCarb, an alternative carbon source for BNR systems; and LysteGro, a nutrient-rich biosolids fertilizer.
Company information may be found at www.lystek.com.