PED Returns to the Field: From the First Biodegradable Fertilizer Coating to a Full Platform Built for Performance

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PED Returns to the Field: From the First Biodegradable Fertilizer Coating to a Full Platform Built for Performance

PR Newswire

Performance Enhanced Delivery (PED) has returned to market with a field-proven platform of biodegradable ag inputs—three years after launching the industry's first plastic-free fertilizer coating. The updated PED platform includes Durable Inputs™ (a microplastic-free coating), Essentialcide™ (a hemp-based botanical biopesticide), and Liquid Hemp Fertilizer (an odor- and clog-free nutrient solution). Built in collaboration with growers and validated through field trials, PED is now expanding its 2025–2026 trial network and inviting partners to help bring smarter, cleaner, and more durable inputs to the field.

MOORE, S.C., May 24, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Three years after announcing its first biodegradable coating, Performance Enhanced Delivery (PED) returns with a full platform. Proven in the field and built for the future.

I believed there were real benefits — and I wanted to see for myself.

In July 2022, PED introduced the agriculture industry's first plastic-free, biodegradable fertilizer coating. That announcement marked the start of a determined effort not to invent and compete with CRFs or other input categories, but to tweak and improve what growers were already using. Listening to growers taught us to think differently and build for what matters most in the field.

PED is now a complete platform of field-tested tools designed to reduce input loss, simplify application, and perform under pressure—all without changing how farmers farm.

From One Coating to a Complete Platform

What began as a solution for nutrient loss has grown into a durable, grower-friendly system:

Durable Inputs™

A bio-based, no microplastic, stay-in-place coating that protects nutrients, seeds, and biologicals from breaking down too fast.

  • Plastic-free and synthetic-free
  • Cold-applied and field-stable
  • Compatible with seeds, fertilizers, and trace elements

Essentialcide™

A hemp-based, 25(b)-exempt botanical biopesticide that targets insects, bacteria, and fungus while remaining safe for pollinators and people.

  • Rainfast and residue-free
  • Built for foliar, soil, and post-harvest use
  • FIFRA-compliant with zero re-entry interval

Liquid Hemp Fertilizer

A hemp-extracted nutrient solution, developed from a belief and now backed by data.

  • Odor-free and clog-free
  • Compatible with drip, foliar, and fertigation
  • Early trials show improved plant resilience

Validated by the Field, Not Just Promised in the Lab

PED's technologies have been tested and refined through independent and on-farm trials, including work with Clemson Extension and commercial growers across fruit, vegetable, and row crops.

Field results have demonstrated strong nutrient retention, reduced loss, and reliable input performance under real-world conditions.

From the Founder

"I built these products because I had a hunch," said Rich Johnston, founder of PED. "I believed there were real benefits and I wanted to see for myself. I'm an inventor at heart, and I leaned into it hard to prove what I thought could be true. After ten years, the coating worked. But what truly shaped PED and its patented products was listening to growers. That journey taught us the values that matter most."

Built Ahead of What's Coming

As global agriculture shifts toward durability, efficiency, and sustainability, PED arrives ahead of the curve. With the European Union set to ban plastic-coated fertilizers by 2028, and biopesticides now the fastest-growing segment in crop protection, PED offers a platform built for what's next without compromising performance today.

An Open Invitation to Trial and Collaborate

PED is expanding its network of field trial partners for the 2025–2026 growing seasons. Whether you grow specialty crops or row crops, PED welcomes collaboration grounded in practical results and shared goals.

Current trial opportunities include:

  • Durable Inputs™ in open-field and specialty systems
  • Essentialcide™ across foliar, soil, and post-harvest use
  • Liquid Hemp Fertilizer in organic, conventional, or regenerative programs

"If you're interested in putting PED to work in your system, we'd love to connect," Johnston added.

PED is ready to grow. With partners who want to make good inputs even better.

Media Contact

Richard Johnston, Performance Enhanced Delivery, 1 8649050842, rich.johnston@performanceenhanceddelivery.com, https://PerformanceEnhancedDelivery.com

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SOURCE Performance Enhanced Delivery