A Future-Ready Solution: eqo.x Biodegradable Coating Officially Certified

ICL’s eqo.x has become the first biodegradable CRF coating officially certified under the EU Fertilizing Products Regulation, setting a new benchmark for sustainable innovation. Backed by years of testing, eqo.x ensures efficient nutrient release while fully breaking down into non-toxic components. This certification confirms ICL’s leadership in combining agronomic performance with genuine environmental responsibility – shaping the future of plant nutrition.

For professionals seeking fertilizer technologies that perform at the highest level while aligning with environmental progress and upcoming regulations, the path forward just became clearer. ICL’s next-generation biodegradable coating, eqo.x, has received certification under the European Union’s Fertilizing Products Regulation (EU) 2019/1009.

This independent verification from a Notified Body (NoBo) confirms that eqo.x meets the EU’s strict requirements for controlled release fertilizers (CRFs) and biodegradability, which includes the new standards set to become mandatory by 2028.

This is more than just a regulatory box to check. It reflects a clear step toward safer, smarter, and more sustainable fertilizer use. Backed by rigorous third-party testing and years of research, eqo.x offers a proven solution that supports high crop performance while addressing the broader responsibilities of environmental stewardship and future compliance.

What eqo.x Means in Practice

At its core, eqo.x is a fully biodegradable coating technology designed to deliver controlled nutrient release while breaking down naturally into carbon dioxide, water, and biomass. Once the nutrients are released, the coating begins to degrade, and within 48 months of the CRF’s functional period, there will be no residues left behind. That means growers can use ICL controlled release fertilizers to maximize nutrient efficiency without any compromise on soil health or regulatory compliance.

The EU certification confirms this process, utilizing the results of extensive laboratory tests that measured the coating’s biodegradability in both soil and water environments. This is a critical requirement for CE-marked products under EU legislation. For growers, distributors, and advisors operating in the European market, this EU certification provides confidence that eqo.x-coated products will be future-compliant, even as biodegradability standards become more stringent.

Designed with the Future in Mind

Many in the agriculture sector have long recognized the value of controlled release fertilizers in enhancing nutrient use efficiency and reducing nitrogen losses from leaching or volatilization. However, the environmental conversation has evolved, and with it, the expectations around degradation speed of CRF coatings. What was once considered acceptable is now under review.

The EU’s move to require full and faster biodegradability by 2028 places new demands on product development. With eqo.x, ICL has not only met that challenge early but has done so with a coating that retains the performance that growers expect from ICL products.

This innovation comes from within: ICL’s proprietary platform technology, developed by our R&D division, will underpin multiple CRF products.

Tested, Trusted, and Proven

The certification process by the NoBo involves detailed third-party laboratory testing to verify that the coating performs as claimed. The tests confirmed that in both soil and water environments, eqo.x breaks down into non-toxic components after nutrient release.

Of course, performance is also important in real-world situations. In trials conducted by ICL’s own agronomy teams across Europe, controlled release fertilizers with the eqo.x coating have demonstrated strong nutrient delivery and crop performance.

Why This Certification Matters to Professionals

In a landscape where growers are increasingly asked to prove environmental accountability, whether through carbon audits, input reduction goals, or soil health metrics, every input matters. Using a CRF with eqo.x coating technology that meets the forthcoming EU regulations offers professionals a defensible, science-backed choice that aligns agronomic performance with long-term viability.

It is important to understand that the independent certification of biodegradability by the NoBo is the only official approval for a CRF-coating which is relevant for the EU regulation.

Timing is also important. With 2028 regulations already on the horizon, supply chains could soon begin favoring products that are ready now, rather than scrambling to adjust later. The certification gives ICL’s partners and customers a head start, reducing future risk and reinforcing their own commitments to sustainability.

From Innovation to Application

ICL is currently scaling up eqo.x production and testing formulations tailored to specific crop systems and market needs. As field validation expands, professionals can expect updates on product availability and recommended use cases across sectors.

But the bigger picture is already clear: eqo.x is not just a technical upgrade, it’s a platform for the next generation of plant nutrition. One that respects the soil, the demands of the market, and the pride that agricultural professionals take in doing things right.