Functional Fertilisers: A Smarter Way to Feed Crops

Foreword by David Marks

One of the questions I’m asked most often is, “What exactly are Levity’s products? Are they fertilisers? Are they biostimulants?” The answer is—they’re neither. Traditional labels don’t quite fit what we do, which is why I coined a new term: functional fertilisers.

What Are Functional Fertilisers?

Functional fertilisers are advanced crop nutrition products that do more than feed plants—they work in synergy with plant physiology to improve how crops grow, develop, and respond to stress. Unlike traditional fertilisers, which serve as passive nutrient sources, functional fertilisers are engineered to:

• Enhance nutrient uptake and mobility
• Influence plant hormones and developmental responses
• Boost tolerance to abiotic stresses (drought, heat, salinity, etc.)
• Trigger cellular and metabolic responses that actively convert nutrients into yield-driving compounds
• Target specific stages of crop growth like flowering, bulking, or ripening

These products often contain:

• Stabilised nutrient forms that reduce loss and increase efficiency
• Physiological stimulants to guide plant behaviour
• Carrier and signal technologies that influence cell transport and metabolism

From Conventional to Functional: A Paradigm Shift

Conventional fertilisers—while essential—come with known limitations:

• Low efficiency: Large portions of nutrients like nitrogen are lost to leaching, runoff, or volatilisation.
• Non-targeted impact: Nutrients may be absorbed at the wrong time or by the wrong part of the plant.
• Environmental concerns: Over-application leads to pollution and soil degradation.

Functional fertilisers solve these issues by focusing on how the plant uses nutrients—not just how much is applied. They align nutrient delivery with the crop’s biological needs, stage of growth, and surrounding conditions.

In human nutrition, the concept of functional foods is well established—think of yoghurt fortified with vitamin D to enhance calcium absorption. Yet, fertiliser technology has lagged far behind. That’s why we’ve pioneered functional fertilisers at Levity. By combining nutrients with targeted biochemical signals, we’re not just feeding crops—we’re changing how they grow, respond, and perform. Our science is helping redefine what fertiliser can do—slashing input rates and opening entirely new possibilities for sustainable, high-performance agriculture — David Marks, Levity Crop Science

How Functional Fertilisers Improve Efficiency

Functional fertilisers don’t just improve how nutrients are applied—they enhance how nutrients are absorbed, transported, and used within the plant at both metabolic and cellular levels.

Levity Crop Science: Pioneering the Functional Approach

At Levity Crop Science, we don’t formulate products to simply deliver nutrients—we design them to change outcomes. Our approach is grounded in science and built on years of research into how plants absorb and use nutrients under real-world field conditions.

Here are four key innovations from Levity’s product range:

1. Lono – Rethinking Nitrogen Use

• Problem: Standard nitrogen encourages vegetative growth, often at the expense of yield-forming parts like fruits or tubers.
• Solution: Lono stabilises nitrogen in the amine form using our LimiN Technology, which promotes reproductive growth over excess foliage.
• Result: Greater yield, improved crop uniformity, and more efficient nitrogen use—especially under stress.

2. Albina – Targeted Calcium Transport

• Problem: Calcium uptake is poorly directed to low-auxin plant parts (e.g. fruit), causing disorders like blossom end rot or bitter pit.
• Solution: Albina uses LoCal Technology to guide calcium directly to the tissues that need it.
• Result: Enhanced fruit firmness, fewer physiological issues, and longer post-harvest shelf life.

3. Damu – Moving Sugar and Boron Where It Counts

• Problem: Boron is crucial for sugar transport and reproductive development, but it’s often locked up in soil or inefficiently translocated.
• Solution: Damu combines boron with Catalyst Technology to improve both its absorption and movement within the plant.
• Result: Larger, more uniform fruit and tubers with improved internal quality and resilience.

4. Zeme – Silicon for Structure and Stress Defense

• Problem: Silicon enhances plant toughness and stress tolerance, but most crops struggle to absorb it effectively.
• Solution: Zeme delivers bioavailable silicon through Si-X Technology, ensuring uptake and proper internal distribution.
• Result: Stronger plant structures, better resistance to environmental stress, and improved post-harvest performance.

The Future of Crop Nutrition

Functional fertilisers aren’t just an innovation—they’re a necessary evolution. As global agriculture moves toward climate-smart, resource-efficient, and regenerative models, the demand for technologies that work with plant biology will grow.

At Levity, we’re proud to be at the forefront of this movement. We believe in smarter inputs, not more inputs. And with functional fertilisers, we’re helping growers around the world get more from their crops—responsibly, sustainably, and efficiently.