Ostara’s enhanced efficiency fertilizer unlocks U.S. conservation funding under NRCS
Ostara’s CG P2X, an enhanced efficiency fertilizer derived from struvite, has aligned with U.S. Department of Agriculture conservation practice and enhanced efficiency fertilizer classifications in several states, opening access to federal conservation funding for growers who use it.
The St. Louis-based company said the granular 9-42-0 with 9 Mg product is recognized by the Association of American Plant Food Control Officials and NRCS nutrient management guidance as a slow-release material, extending the case Ostara has built for its efficiency-focused phosphate alternative. The classification can support NRCS Practice Code 590, Nutrient Management, which helps growers improve nutrient use efficiency while cutting environmental losses.
Eligibility varies by state and may fall under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, the Conservation Stewardship Program, or other nutrient management initiatives, Ostara said. The company noted that NRCS guidance references nutrient characteristics and technologies rather than commercial product names.
The recovered-phosphorus fertilizer releases nutrients in response to crop demand rather than dissolving into the soil, which Ostara says allows roughly 40% lower application rates than MAP, DAP or TSP at comparable cost per acre. The company points to 151 field trials showing a consistent yield advantage.
“With farming margins tight, potential conservation funding could further support farm profitability while helping growers advance nutrient management goals,” said Austin Omer, Ostara’s director of sustainability, partnerships and policy.
Source: World Fertilizer
What to know about CG P2X and conservation funding
CG P2X, formerly marketed as Crystal Green, is a granular phosphate fertilizer made from magnesium ammonium phosphate, or struvite, recovered through Ostara’s nutrient-recovery process. It carries a 9-42-0 with 9 Mg analysis and is manufactured at the company’s facility in St. Louis. Ostara says it releases nutrients in response to crop demand rather than dissolving into the soil.
Because CG P2X is recognized by AAPFCO and NRCS guidance as a slow-release, enhanced efficiency fertilizer, its use can count toward funded conservation practices such as NRCS Practice Code 590, Nutrient Management. Ostara notes that NRCS guidance references nutrient characteristics rather than brand names, so eligibility attaches to the technology rather than the product itself.
Ostara said eligibility depends on the state but could include the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, known as EQIP, the Conservation Stewardship Program, or CSP, and other nutrient management initiatives. Because implementation differs by state, the company is directing growers and retailers to their local NRCS office to confirm how the programs apply.
The amount depends on the state, program and practice adopted, and Ostara has not published a single figure. For scale, a separate NRCS-backed sustainability program run by Star of the West Milling that incorporates CG P2X offers participating growers up to $50 per acre. Payments under EQIP or CSP are set by each program rather than by Ostara.
Ostara says CG P2X can be applied at roughly 40% lower rates than conventional phosphate fertilizers such as MAP, DAP or TSP while delivering comparable performance at similar cost per acre, citing 151 field trials. Traditional ammonium phosphates, by contrast, make only about 10% to 30% of their phosphorus available to the crop, according to the company.
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