Amino acids in fertilization: what they add and at what concentration
Amino acids are how a plant stores and moves nitrogen. Supplying them ready-made spares the plant the work of building them from nitrate — a process that costs energy and carbon. Across the Ecoganic range they come from freshwater microalgae extract, and the concentration is declared product by product: from 9.00 % to 98.4 %.
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total amino acids in NITROTECH 16: nearly the whole product
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products in the range declare their amino acid content
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freshwater microalgae extract in the liquid NITROTECH products
Why supply amino acids and not only nitrate
A plant does not use nitrogen in the form it absorbs it. Nitrate taken up by the root must first be reduced to nitrite, then to ammonium, and only then is it attached to a carbon skeleton to form an amino acid. That reduction chain consumes reducing power and carbon the plant then cannot spend elsewhere.
Supplying ready-made amino acids skips part of that path. It does not replace the fertilisation plan — the plant still needs its base nitrogen — but it changes the cost of having nitrogen available exactly when it is most needed: fruit set, filling, recovery after a heat or salinity event.
The concentration is the fact, not the word
«With amino acids» says nothing: it could be 2 % or 60 %. All seven products in the range declare their total amino acid percentage, running from 9.00 % in FULVEX 50S to 98.4 % in NITROTECH 16.
Where they come from
From bioreactor-grown freshwater microalgae extract, which makes up 25 % of the liquid NITROTECH products. It is not an animal or waste-derived hydrolysate, and that origin is why they carry no chloride and no sodium.
Foliar and root routes
The datasheets give rates for both. Foliar is expressed in cc or g per 100 L of spray solution; fertigation in L or kg per hectare. They are not interchangeable: concentration and timing differ.
What may and may not be claimed
Under the EU biostimulant framework you may claim nutrient use efficiency, tolerance to abiotic stress and quality traits. You may not claim hormonal action or action against pests or diseases — and Ecoganic does not.
Declared total amino acids, by product
Percentage of total amino acids declared on each product datasheet.
| Product | Total amino acids | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| NITROTECH 16 | 98,4 % | — |
| NITROTECH 10 | 60,90 % | — |
| NITROTECH 8 | 35 % | — |
| BALANCE 7-7-7 | 33 % | — |
| BALANCE 6-3-18 | 30 % | — |
| NITROTECH 2.5 | 19,80 % | — |
| FULVEX 50S | 9,00 % | — |
The range, with its analysis
| Product | Amino acids | Total N | Form | Datasheet rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NITROTECH 16 | 98,4 % | 15,87 %(measured) | Soluble powder | Foliar 200–300 g/100 L · Fertirrigación 3–5 kg/ha |
| NITROTECH 10 | 60,90 % | 9,96 %(measured) | Liquid | 3–7 L/ha o 300–700 cc/100 L |
| NITROTECH 8 | 35 % | ≥ 8 % | Liquid | 3–6 L/ha o 200–300 cc/100 L |
| BALANCE 7-7-7 | 33 % | 7 % | Soluble powder | 3–4 kg/ha |
| BALANCE 6-3-18 | 30 % | 6 % | Soluble powder | 3–4 kg/ha |
| NITROTECH 2.5 | 19,80 % | ≥ 2,5 % | Liquid | Foliar 200–300 cc/100 L · Fertirrigación 3–6 L/ha |
| FULVEX 50S | 9,00 % | 3,82 % | Soluble powder | 250–500 g/100 L foliar · 2–6 kg/ha fertirrigación |
The only figure that counts: a trial with the product named
Most amino acid pages in this sector do not show a single number of their own. This trial is signed by a public university, names the researcher and states which product was applied — NITROTECH 10, which declares 60.90 % total amino acids.
Bell pepper: more yield while cutting mineral nitrogen
University of Arizona, Yuma. Researcher: Kurt Nolte PhD. Randomised complete blocks, 4 blocks × 3 rates, furrow irrigation, 2013 and 2014 seasons.
| Product | Total amino acids | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| UAN32 estándar | 16.046 kg/plot | — |
| UAN32 reducido + NITROTECH 10 (2 lb/ac) | 17.850 kg/plot | +11,2 % |
| UAN32 reducido + NITROTECH 10 (8 lb/ac) | 18.151 kg/plot | +13,1 % |
Replacing part of the UAN32 with NITROTECH 10, cumulative yield rose 11.2 % at the lowest rate and 13.1 % at the fourfold rate. Fruit count followed, so this is not an isolated size effect.
University of Arizona — Kurt Nolte PhD, Yuma, Arizona (USA), 2013-2014
See all 24 published trials →Frequently asked questions about amino acids
What are amino acids used for in agriculture?
They supply nitrogen already organised in the form the plant uses. A plant takes up nitrate and must reduce it and bind it to carbon to build amino acids; receiving them ready-made spares that cost. Under the EU biostimulant framework this translates into nutrient use efficiency and tolerance to abiotic stress.
What amino acid concentration does each product have?
NITROTECH 16 declares 98.4 %, NITROTECH 10 60.90 %, NITROTECH 8 35 %, BALANCE 7-7-7 33 %, BALANCE 6-3-18 30 %, NITROTECH 2.5 19.80 % and FULVEX 50S 9.00 %. These are total amino acids as declared on the datasheet.
Where do these amino acids come from?
From bioreactor-grown freshwater microalgae extract, which makes up 25 % of the liquid NITROTECH products. They are not animal or waste-derived hydrolysates, which is why they add no chloride and no sodium.
Foliar or through irrigation?
Both routes are on the datasheet. Foliar is expressed in cc or grams per 100 litres of spray solution; fertigation in litres or kilos per hectare. They are not equivalent: the concentration differs and so does the point in the cycle where each one matters.
Do they replace nitrogen fertilisation?
They do not replace it, they complement it. In the University of Arizona trial the replacement of mineral nitrogen was partial, not total — and with that partial replacement yield rose 13.1 %.
Are they valid for certified organic farming?
That decision belongs to your control body, for the specific product and batch. Our certifications page states which standards cover the range and how to verify a product before applying it.