"When we launched Performance Nutrition in 1999, our government had just passed new regulations that limited certain pesticides and we recognized a need for pesticide alternatives. We realized that those regulations would eventually expand to fertilizers as well, and we wanted to find ways to minimize the need for fertilizers through proper turf and soil nutrition," says Don Pucillo, president of Performance Nutrition, based in Hazlet, New Jersey. "It was our intention to create products for the turf care industry that were Earth friendly, people friendly and applicator friendly."

Today, Performance Nutrition produces bio-alternative fertilizers, pesticides and soil treatments that proactively support the ecosystem, reducing the need for traditional inputs. "We now have a series of treatments that address the soil, the foliage and also are designed for use at aerification. We're the only company I know of that has an all-encompassing program that includes nutrition, micro-nutrition and disease control," Pucillo says.

Performance Nutrition produces a full line of products to help turf managers maintain their turf and control, or avoid, disease. Three of Performance Nutrition's most popular products are: NutriSmart, Krystal Klear and KaPre Exalt.

NutriSmart is a certified organic material that may be used to replace chemical fertilizers. It helps unlock nutrients trapped in the soil and not only replaces N, P & K, but also enriches the soil with organic carbon. Carbon is required for every living organism. The soil needs carbon for the microorganisms to flourish. Chemical fertilizers can leach into the water supply and cause water quality issues. By using NutriSmart, turf managers may eliminate the leaching of N and Phosphate into the water supply while still delivering sufficient nutrition for lush, green turf. NutriSmart is a granular formulation.

Krystal Klear iron chelates are the most available iron products on the market. They quickly green up turf and keep it green for several weeks. Because Krystal Klear is formulated with Baypure, a biodegradable chelating agent, it is safer for the environment. It allows turf managers to green up the plant without mobilizing heavy metals in the soil. Krystal Klear is a liquid solution. Performance Nutrition also formulates Krystal Klear micronutrients with a biodegradable chelating agent. KaPre Exalt is a soil amendment that frees nutrients tied up in the soil and makes them available for plant uptake. Applied fertilizers frequently get bound up in the soil. By using KaPre Exalt, soil applied fertilizers become more nutrient-use efficient. An added bonus- it's also quite effective for flushing sodium out of the soil profile. KaPre Exalt is a liquid solution.

All of Performance Nutrition's products are backed by science. The company has a plant pathologist, a Ph.D. microbiologist, a geologist and a plant scientist on staff that develop products and support the company's dealers, their clients, and end users.

"Earth Day, I think, is about respecting the Earth and promoting sustainable practices, and that's what we try to do everyday," Pucillo says. "That is the hallmark of Performance Nutrition."