Maintaining soil quality through innovative nutrients

Under the motto "Think green and act green,

Exercising outdoors is undeniably good for your health. Whether it's a soccer field or a golf course, the pleasure of playing on a beautiful lawn or impeccably maintained golf course is a constant delight. But behind this simple pleasure is a lot of construction and maintenance work. That includes providing quality nutrients - precisely the mission that the company Fert In Time Europe has set itself, as its managing director Philippe Debougnoux explains.

The ambition is both simple and generous. Fert In Time is an international manufacturer, distributor and developer of next-generation soil management and plant nutrition products. The company was founded by Philippe Debougnoux, an agricultural engineer by training and former dairy farmer, and Jean Damseaux, a world expert in nitrogen fertilizers for over sixty years for major multinational companies. Realizing that agricultural fertilizers used on sports fields were not really suitable because of the rapid release of nutrients to the soil, the company joined forces with several leading European companies to obtain the right to market their innovative premium products exclusively in Benelux, France, Germany and Poland.

"I know the needs of my end customers inside out. They don't want to hear a sales pitch, they want really effective solutions. Fert In Time offers molecules that do not exist elsewhere and whose proven effectiveness is at least four times that of traditional fertilizers from the big international players," says Philippe Debougnoux. The range of products offered is divided into four distinct but complementary groups: granular fertilizers, liquid fertilizers, biostimulants and wetting agents. 

Grain fertilizers

The ImpactPlus grain fertilizer range is seasonal and includes winter, summer and spring fertilizers, while the Plant & Sport GREEN fertilizer is revolutionary because it is the only fertilizer that contains as many as eight different nitrogen molecules. 

Liquid fertilizers

Liquid fertilizers include NitroSlow Fluid®N 28% (28% nitrogen), a slow-acting nitrogenous foliar fertilizer, NitroSlow Fluid Super® (enriched with trace elements), In Time Nitro Super Iron® with 8% iron to "boost" turf in just 36 hours, Trace Elements Fluid, Solar PK and Solar Nano Si. The obvious advantage of a liquid fertilizer is that it can be absorbed by the plants' leaves, thus feeding them without going through the root system.

Biostimulants

The main biostimulator is Compass Bio Active, a rich concentrate of seaweed suspension extracted by cold mechanical pressing from pure seaweed from the west coast of Ireland. It contains amino acids, vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates and plant hormones that promote plant root growth while helping to reduce biotic (disease) and abiotic (heat, injury) stress on plants, increasing their immunity.

Humectants

Wetting agents are essential in extreme weather conditions because these biodegradable, synthetic polymers facilitate water management in the soil: in summer they help retain water better at the roots, and in winter they allow excess water to seep into the soil profile. This prevents dry zones and dry patches. 

Greenkeepers Academy

At the request of clients, Philippe Debougnoux created the Fert In Time Greenkeepers Academy. He explains its purpose: "I wanted to create a community of professionals based on the exchange of knowledge. Everyone is welcome. The goal is to improve knowledge and skills to maintain a competitive advantage. And this also benefits the development of new products based on all these common experiences. The platform also allows for rapid exchange of information in case of illnesses."

Last but not least, Fert In Time attaches great importance to its social and environmental commitment. Thus, every year the company organizes an international soccer tournament in which the best European women's teams participate, invests in equipment with a view to carbon neutrality, focuses its research and development on projects to reduce water and energy consumption in the growth of turf, and participates in the creation of zones for biodiversity on golf courses. 

"Whether it is our products, our production chain, our logistics or our end use, we take our social responsibility seriously. With environmentally friendly products, smart water management, efficient logistics and a sustainable production chain, we are positioning Europe as a standard-bearer for a more sustainable future. We work on this every day, in everything we do," Philippe Debougnoux emphasizes.