Product Trails Archives - Mivena | Specialty fertilizer company

Does size matter?

yaniek — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 12:30:09 +0000

Better Spread, Better Fertilization

Does size matter? It may sound playful, but in controlled-release fertilizers it points to something essential: granule size and, even more importantly, how many granules you apply per gram.

Modern CRF technology focuses on coatings, osmotic processes and release curves, but true nutritional uniformity starts with something much simpler. It’s the number of contact points on the field or in the growing medium, the number of granules within a single gram of fertilizer.

More granules means more precision

A CRF granule is not just a pellet. It is a micro-reservoir of nutrients that releases over several months. When you apply fifteen or sixteen of those reservoirs per gram, the feeding pattern across the crop looks very different compared to applying forty or more.

Mivena compared several similar CRF products, all with six-month longevity and all fully coated NPK formulas. Each product was tested by counting exactly one gram of granules. The results were striking.

Results:

Horti-Cote Plus 16-6-11 → 41 granules per gram
O-cote Exact Standard 15-9-12 → 28 granules per gram
M-Cote 15-9-15 → 17 granules per gram
E-kote 15-9-14 → 16 granules per gram

The conclusion is simple. When the same amount of nutrients is divided over smaller and more uniform granules, you create more contact points in the root zone. More contact points lead to a more even nutrient supply. And a CRF that falls more evenly performs more evenly.

The comparison speaks for itself. At the same weight, Durable® CRF 44-0-0 delivers roughly four times more granules than Cote-N 42-0-0. More granules mean more contact points, a finer spread pattern and noticeably more uniform feeding across the treated area. This simple physical difference directly translates into more consistent plant performance.

Impact on growth, colour and root development

Plant performance is highly sensitive to variations in nutrient distribution. A finer granule distribution leads to more uniform colour, more consistent leaf mass and fewer visible patches. In both turf and horticultural crops, a higher granule count results in steadier growth and predictable biomass production.

Roots benefit as well. When nutrients are released evenly, stress is reduced and plants develop a more balanced root system. This effect is especially important in soft fruit, pot plants and young plants where uniformity is critical.

Visual of spread quality

The Durable CRF visualization shows clearly how granule count affects real-world spreading. A product with about 120 granules per gram creates a near pixel-like coverage, while one with only thirty leaves gaps and clusters.

This difference in physical spread leads to noticeable differences in plant response, not because the formulation changes, but because the distribution does.

Why Mivena focuses on high granule density

In Horti-Cote Plus and Durable CRF, Mivena intentionally uses compact, high-density granules. Each particle is fully coated and engineered for controlled nutrient release. By increasing the number of granules per gram, feeding becomes more stable, more predictable and ultimately more efficient.

Conclusion: Does size matter?

Yes, size matters, especially when it comes to performance.

CRF performance is not driven by chemistry alone. It also depends on a physical reality that is often overlooked: how evenly the nutrition is distributed. The difference between sixteen and forty-one granules per gram is the difference between average uniformity and true professional precision.

Granule count determines spread quality. Spread quality determines growth quality. And that makes granule size and granule density one of the most underestimated performance factors in controlled-release fertilizers.

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Double your sales with Horti-Cote®Plus

Mivena — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 09:39:17 +0000

+100% More Saleable Plants: Why Growers Choose Horti-Cote®Plus

In the competitive landscape of container nursery production, choosing the right fertilizer isn’t just a technical decision—it’s a strategic one. That’s why Horti-Cote®Plus for woody ornamental plants is gaining recognition as a game-changing solution. A recent independent trial by the Landwirtschaftskammer Schleswig-Holstein in Germany provides compelling, data-backed insights into the impact of CRF (Controlled Release Fertilizer) selection on plant performance.

Field Trial Overview: Setting a Scientific Benchmark

The trial was conducted from May to November 2023 in Ellerhoop, Germany, where several CRF formulations available in the European market were tested on Ligustrum ovalifolium and Hypericum ‘Hidcote’. Each treatment included 40 plants (4 replications of 10). The key performance indicators: plant height and fresh weight—two metrics directly tied to commercial classification and profitability.

Horti-Cote®Plus: Leading the Pack

Mivena’s Horti-Cote®Plus 6M and Horti-Cote®Plus High N 6M outperformed all other products in both growth and uniformity. Plants treated with these formulations achieved:

The highest average plant height and biomass (up to 70 grams)
Approximately 50% of plants met the high-demand commercial class of 40–60 cm

By comparison, other CRFs delivered significantly lower returns. One group saw only 20–25% of plants meet the commercial standard, while another performed so poorly that up to 80% of plants were deemed unmarketable due to inconsistent growth.

Why It Matters: Real Impact for Growers

Uniformity and high marketability are not luxuries—they’re necessities for scaling and sustaining a nursery operation. Horti-Cote®Plus for woody ornamental plants gives growers a critical edge, producing more salable plants with fewer resources and less variability.

The data proves it: better nutrient delivery, better results.

A Smart Investment Beyond Growth

Success in horticulture is measured in more than centimeters and grams. Every plant that meets commercial grading reduces waste, boosts ROI, and enhances your brand’s reliability. That’s the true power of Horti-Cote®Plus for woody ornamental plants—it’s not just feeding your crop, it’s optimizing your entire production chain.

Ready to See the Results for Yourself?

Let’s talk about how Horti-Cote®Plus can elevate your growing program. Our technical experts are ready to help tailor a solution to your specific needs.

👉 https://mivena.nl/search-by-product/

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Turf Trails – Professional Football Pitch Efficiency Trial in Spain

Mivena — Tue, 28 Feb 2023 12:58:00 +0000

A recent trial comparing the effectiveness on turf of our CRF Granucote and a CRF competitor fertilizer (product S) has shown that Granucote outperforms its competitor in terms of healthy growth and recovery of the pitch.

The trial was conducted over a period of several months on a test location and at the same time on a professional football pitch in Spain. Both fertilizers were applied at the same rate and frequency as recommended by the manufacturers.

After a few weeks, it became clear that the turf treated with Granucote was much healthier and had a much nicer color than the turf treated with CRF fertilizer (S). The turf treated with Granucote was also able to recover from damage much more quickly than the turf treated with fertilizer (S).

The percentage of coverage by the stolons in the bald areas was higher on the Granucote than on the competitor’s area. One month after treatment Granucote had 80% covered and product (S) only 70%.

On the other hand, color, vigor, and brightness were measured with a colorimeter during the study on the experimental fields and on the football training center.

Granucote showed a greener color and higher brightness than the other fertilizer after one month of treatment.

Once again Mivena products get outstanding results from independent trials due to its high-quality raw materials and innovative techniques.

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Tree Nurseries Trails -Planting-hole application CRF trial Delphy | Viburnum Tinus

Mivena — Fri, 12 Mar 2021 14:52:00 +0000

In 2019 Delphy started a planting-hole application trial in Viburnum Tinus at Tree nursery Marcel Michels located in Hilvarenbeek. Delphy is a leading internationally operating organization for research and advice in the tree nursery sector. Planting-hole applications with controlled release fertilizers are increasingly used in ornamental tree nurseries.

Partly caused by simple application through mechanization. (planting hole machinery on GPS). Increasing number of tree nurseries have invested in mechanization to reduce labour costs.

Positive experiences in plant quality are just as decisive for the success of this application. Controlled release of nutrition direct in the rootzone is the reason for this success.

Trial setup:
In this trial a distinction is made between controlled released fertilizers and soil stimulants & substrates. In the trial setup of 2019-2020 these objects have been tested separately from each other.

In this report we will focus exclusively on the results of the controlled released fertilizers as planting-hole fertilizer and a non-planting-hole application with mineral-organic fertilizers Object D.

2018
Year before trial is planted
50 tons cattle farmyard manure
Crop: Tagetes

2019
On April 17^th P9 young plants “Viburnum tinus” planted in planting holes with a 15 cm diameter. Plant distance 80×50 cm. (19.047 plants / ha).

	Plant-date	Application	Gram / plant	N / year
1th	17-4-2019	Field-Cote CRF SMART 14+5+11+2MgO+TE 24M	30 gram / plant	40N
2th	17-4-2019	Object I (coated / CRF)	25 gram / plant	40N
3th	17-4-2019	Object H (coated / CRF)	30 gram / plant	40N
4th	Mei 2019/2020 June 2019/2020	Object D (mineral – organic) Total – 2 years, 4 applications with 160N	800 kg / ha / year	80N

End results trial 9-11-2020 (after 2 years)

	Applications	Plant quality	Root quality	Average length 9-11-2020
1th	Field-Cote CRF SMART	+	+	98 cm
2th	Object I (coated / CRF)	+	+	92 cm
3th	Object H (coated / CRF)	+/-	+/-	89 cm
4th	Object D (mineral-organic)	+	+	90 cm

Conclusions
This fertilizer trial shows us that we can achieve better results with 50% less N when we use plant-hole application method with Field-Cote CRF SMART 14+5+11+2MgO+TE 24M
In 2 of the 3 controlled release fertilizer plant hole applications, the results are better than standard application (not in the plant-hole) with mineral-organic (Object D) two times per year.

All objects scored well on rooting, except for Object H. (> 10% failure of plants and lesser quality rooting.)

With planting hole application, you can clearly fertilize more efficiently.

In 2021, Delphy will set up another planting-hole fertilizer application trail at Marcel Michels. This time with Prunus young plantings P9.

Hopefully we will meet during the delphy demo days this year to see the results of this interesting way of fertilization.

We grow SMART!

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Turf Trials – Bermudagrass with Granucote®CRF

Mivena — Tue, 15 Dec 2020 11:00:00 +0000

In the beginning of 2020, we started a collaboration with Laboratorios Neval from Spain. Laboratorios Neval is a government certified laboratory with a trial station in the region of Valencia, that specializes in (field) research of phytosanitary products, fertilizers, nematodes, pesticides etc.

Together we have designed a trial to measure the effectiveness of our Granucote fertilizer programme on Bermuda-grass. The setup was as follows:

Comparison of 3 different programs:
1. 2x 300Kg Mivena Granucote longevity 5/6M
2. 2x 300Kg CRF Competitor longevity 5M
3. 5x 200Kg Agriculture fertilizer no longevity
Trial surface of 3x 1m2 (Bermuda grass sods, variety Tifway 419)
Each sward grown on a lysio-bin which was randomly placed in a 3×3 square
The bins were filed with mesh, gravel and 15cm of sand before installing the sods
The following criteria were measured during the test-period:
- Growth rate of the turf – Vertical and Horizontal
- Quality of the turf – Vigour, colour, uniformity
- Leaching of elements and water

In April 2020 we applied the first doses of each fertilizer. In mid-May and end-June we applied the second and third doses of Agriculture fertilizer. In August we applied all fertilizers and finally we applied one last dose of Agriculture fertilizer in September.

Horizontal growth was measured by cutting a square out of the sward and measuring the rate of regrowth. The cut-out surface was measured every 2 weeks to see how quick it was covered with Bermuda turfgrass again. The trial showed that both objects with CRF grew back the quickest. Both objects were 100% closed after 45 days, where the agriculture fertilizer took more than 60 days to close completely.

Vertical growth was measured by weighing the wet and dry clippings after cutting the grass. We were not well prepared for the growth velocity of Spanish turf in Spain, so we made a mistake by letting the grass grow too long in spring. This will have to be re-done properly in the trials for 2021. Nevertheless, some results were useful. As expected, the biggest “peaks” in growth were made by the agriculture fertilizer, whereas the longest “tails” in the growth curve were made by the CRF fertilizers. The differences in growth were especially large in the second half of the year.

Turf-quality was constantly monitored and visually rated on objective scales. It showed that the objects that had Granucote scored the highest from the beginning to the end of the year, followed by the competitors’ product. The agriculture fertilizer object turned yellow more than once throughout the year.

The leaching data was not yet analysed completely at the time of writing of this article. The intermediate results showed that there was not a lot of difference between subjects, except that there was slightly more Nitrogen in the percolate from the objects with Agriculture fertilizer. However further analysis is needed to come to a complete conclusion.

Even though one criterium still need to be analysed and the quality of the vertical growth criteria needs to be improved for next season, we can already say some things about the different fertilizers. The trial has shown that even in Spain, where temperatures in summer can be scorching, Granucote does not cause Nitrogen burn while maintaining a green sward all year long. In fact, Granucote will help repair a damaged sward quicker than regular agriculture fertilizer.

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