The 2009 ASHS Annual Conference

The Andersons, Inc. has engineered a breakthrough granular technology platform that addresses the economic, health, and environmental concerns of today's agricultural industry. The overall goal of this initiative is to accelerate commercial penetration of this technology into the multibillion-dollar Food and Agriculture system. The core concept of this proposal is to build on The Andersons' current market strengths and use advanced granules to effectively deliver fertilizers and pesticides or biologically active ingredients to specifically targeted areas. The Andersons granular technology effectively and accurately delivers biologically active ingredients precisely to target areas, disintegrates within seconds to reduce environmental risks, and have virtually no drift problem. This revolutionary technology will mitigate many of today's problems associated with fertilizers and pesticides while improving production efficiency of food, fiber, energy, and aesthetic environments. A consortium of Ohio and national leaders has been organized to initiate a chain reaction of job creation throughout the state in multiple industries. It organizes academia and industry in a sustainable and profitable partnership to create a strong economic impact to Ohio and improve farming efficiency and safety throughout the world. Through the university and industry collaboration, this initiative develops a skilled workforce, builds academic infrastructure, and creates innovative intellectual property and products for commercialization. By commercializing this platform technology, Ohio will become a global leader in advanced granular research, development, and manufacturing for the turf, nursery, floriculture, fruits, vegetables, and row crops markets all over the world. Furthermore, Ohio will pioneer environmental protection and health safety in agricultural practices for generations to come.