In order to achieve our mission, our R&D department and the not-for-profit research center Scientia Terrae collaborate daily to test our products and develop new innovations. Thanks to their intensive analyses, we only bring the most efficient solutions to market. This means that the environmental impact is as low as possible, which is exactly what we want to achieve: products that benefit nature both in the short and the long term.
Our MINIGRAN® technology, used for the production of our organic and organo-mineral fertilizers, is a good example of product innovation. We developed mini-granules that contain all the nutrients derived from organic raw materials (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and trace elements).
These nutrients are gradually released by microbial activity as soon as the fertilizer granules reach the soil. Microbial activity is closely linked to plant growth, which means that the nutrients in our products are only released when the plant really needs them.
Our soil improvers and potting soils are continuously optimized with appropriate organic fertilizers, lime and other valuable components depending on the application or plant, for optimal soil fertility. As a result of our own research and tests, DCM has also launched two biostimulants that increase plant vitality and root system activity.
Every year, we renew an entire product line, in order to always bring the most sustainable solution to the market. In recent years, we have launched the following innovations: a brand new line of liquid fertilisers containing 98% natural ingredients and 2% micro-organisms and trace elements, so that these products can also be used for organic gardening; a wide range of potting soils that consist now of 100% natural raw materials; grass seed mixtures composed of high-quality varieties that are, for example, more resistant to hot, dry summers. In the 2022 season, we will focus on our flower seed mixtures, which attract beneficial insects and thus contribute to biodiversity in our gardens.
Did you know that we collaborate, through our plant clinic, with more than 20 research departments of universities and trial stations in Belgium, the Netherlands and abroad? Practical trials on a grower’s premises and on sports fields in the 45 countries in which we are active, are also very important to continuously improve our products. Equally important is the internal and cross-border sharing of knowledge that our DCM advisors acquire with those trials.
According to DCM, efficient products are also the most sustainable, because the more efficient the effect of a product, the lower the loss of nutrients and the better for the environment. In collaboration with nature, our fertilizers provide strong plants, but also a better soil structure and – thanks to the various elements contained in our fertilizers – a more diverse soil life. Our knowledge lies in the biodiversity of raw materials in order to obtain a balanced fertilization. But what exactly makes our plant food so good for the environment?
Did you know that our unique MINIGRAN® fertilizers ensure, thanks to their mini-size granules, up to 60% better distribution in comparison with organic fertilizers of other manufacturers, increasing their efficiency. Applied on lawns, for example, this means that the granules dissolve faster and penetrate the soil instead of being picked up while mowing.