Product specification — Symatec+
For tender documents, procurement files and technical review. Download the full specification as a PDF below.
What it is
Symatec+ is a soil biostimulant. It is not a fertiliser, a fertiliser replacement or a plant protection product.
It works by establishing a mycorrhizal association with plant roots — a fungal network that extends the root system into soil the plant cannot reach on its own, improving access to water and to nutrients already present in the soil. ⚠ FLAGGED — DO NOT PUBLISH AS-IS: internal SOP documentation describes the actual mechanism differently — a biomimicry-based transfer of a whole, diverse soil microbial community from healthy donor soil onto the pellet, applied to degraded soils, rather than a defined mycorrhizal inoculant. This sentence appears sitewide (About page, all three avatar page hero subheadings, FAQ). Needs a scientific sign-off on the correct public description before any of those pages are finalised.
Composition
Raw material declaration (as officially declared to BLW/OFAG, CPID 1029997-42):
| Component | CMC category | Concentration | Supplier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mushroom harvest residues (Pilze Erntefüsse) | CMC 6 — Food industry by-products | ≥ 99% | Kernser Edelpilze |
| Compost extract (“compost tea”, substrate extract) | CMC 3 — Compost | ≥ 1% | Symactiv (self-produced) |
Both raw materials are declared non-hazardous under the Swiss Chemicals Ordinance (ChemO). The specific microbial makeup of the compost extract is intentionally not published as a species or percentage breakdown — the product is designed to carry a diverse, undefined microbial community rather than an isolated set of organisms, consistent with how compost microbiology is conventionally described. This is a deliberate design choice, not a missing data point.
Biochar and starch, both listed in earlier drafts of this specification, have been removed from the current formulation and are no longer used.
General and physical parameters (Niutec AG lab report no. 2026.0765.01, 12 June 2026, ISO/IEC 17025 accredited; sample taken 05.06.2026 at Anlage Kerns OW — figures are from this single analysed batch, worth retesting periodically):
| Parameter | Value | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Particle size (pellet) | 6 mm diameter x 1 cm length | |
| Bulk density | 0.493 | kg/l |
| Dry matter (TS) | 81.7 | % FS |
| pH | 5.6 | – |
| Electrical conductivity (20C) | 1.70 | mS/cm |
| Salt content | 12.1 | g KCleq/kg TS |
| Organic matter (OS) | 91.4 | % TS |
Nutrient content (same lab report; not in the original template, kept here for technical reviewers):
| Nutrient | Value | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Ammonium-N | 826 | mg/kg TS |
| Nitrate-N | 199 | mg/kg TS |
| Total N (Kjeldahl) | 11.6 | g/kg TS |
| C/N ratio | 39.2 | – |
| Calcium | 10 | g/kg TS |
| Potassium (K2O) | 5.8 | g/kg TS |
| Magnesium | 1.3 | g/kg TS |
| Phosphorus (P2O5) | 3.5 | g/kg TS |
Heavy metals (same lab report; all results within ChemRRV Kompost limits):
| Metal | Result | Unit | ChemRRV Kompost limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead (Pb) | 4 | g/t TS | 120 |
| Cadmium (Cd) | < 0.03 | g/t TS | 1 |
| Copper (Cu) | 5 | g/t TS | 100 |
| Nickel (Ni) | < 2 | g/t TS | 30 |
| Mercury (Hg) | < 0.1 | g/t TS | 1 |
| Zinc (Zn) | 21 | g/t TS | 400 |
WARNING – urgent regulatory filing error: the lab report states zinc at 21 g/t TS (= 21 mg/kg). The BLW/OFAG filing lists zinc at 21,000 mg/kg – a factor of 1,000 higher, which looks like a unit-conversion slip rather than a real difference. This is already on an official government submission and should be corrected with BLW as a priority, independent of this website update.
Not a compliance claim, but worth a look: this lab report also benchmarks the sample against the Swiss compost quality guideline (2022), which isn’t necessarily the right standard since the product isn’t marketed as compost. Three values exceed that guideline’s thresholds: Ammonium-N (826 mg/kg TS, guideline ceiling 600/200/40 depending on use), C/N ratio (39.2, guideline max 20-25), and salt content (12.1 g KCleq/kg TS, exceeds the “Gartenbau gedeckt” ceiling of 10 though within the “Freiland” ceiling of 20). Relevant if the product is ever positioned publicly as a “compost-like substrate.”
⚠ Regulatory classification note: the official BLW/OFAG filing classifies this product under Product Function Category 103, “Other fertiliser” — not as a biostimulant. This conflicts directly with the sitewide rule of never describing Symatec+ as a fertiliser. Needs a decision from Hassan before the public classification language below is finalised.
Origin
Produced in Switzerland from recycled Swiss organic matter.
Physical form and packaging
Form: pellets
Colour: brown
Packaging: Big Bags (750 kg) or 20 kg bags for gardeners and smaller operations.
Units per pallet: maximum pallet stack weight is 1 tonne (1,000 kg) — in practice, one Big Bag per pallet, since a second would exceed that limit. ⚠ A 1.2 kg retail label (“Symactiv_Symatec_Etiquette_1.2kg”) also appears in the BLW filing’s document list — confirm whether a third, smaller retail pack size exists and should be listed here.
Application
| Use | Rate | Timing | Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tree and shrub planting | individual | At planting | Into the planting hole |
| Beds and ornamental plantings | individual | At planting | Mixed into substrate |
| Turf establishment | individual | At sowing | [PLACEHOLDER] |
| Vegetable crops, open field | individual | At sowing or planting | [PLACEHOLDER] |
| Vegetable crops, tunnels | individual | At planting | [PLACEHOLDER] |
| Established plantings | individual | Spring | [PLACEHOLDER] |
Existing equipment such as fertiliser spreaders can be used — no specialist equipment is required. Application rates: farming 500 kg/ha, gardening 1 t/ha. ⚠ The page’s application table below lists 6 specific use-cases (tree/shrub planting, beds and ornamental plantings, turf establishment, vegetable open field, vegetable tunnels, established plantings) — these two rates still need to be mapped onto those six rows; confirm which count as “farming” and which as “gardening.”
Compatibility
Symatec+ is designed to be used alongside other soil amendments and fertilisers to maximise yields — no known interferences. One confirmed exception: when applied together with fungicides, reduced efficacy should be expected.
Storage and shelf life
Store protected from direct sunlight, in cool conditions between 20–25°C. Shelf life: 6 months from the date of production when stored as specified. ⚠ Provisional — shelf-life trials are still running; don’t publish this figure as final until confirmed. Batch code and production date are printed on every bag.
Symatec+ contains living organisms. Storage conditions affect the result.
Safety
Hazard classification: not classified as hazardous. This is also confirmed in the official BLW filing — GHS classification “No classification or no data available,” not subject to labelling, no hazard pictogram, no signal word. Personal protective equipment: none required — a harmless biological material with no known risks. First aid measures: [PLACEHOLDER — not yet drafted; given the confirmed non-hazardous status this may end up minimal, e.g. “rinse with water if contact occurs,” but that wording is still to be written, not assumed]. Disposal of packaging: [PLACEHOLDER — not yet drafted].
Safety data sheet: [PLACEHOLDER — not on file. Note: the BLW filing’s own “component listed on SDS” fields were left blank for both raw materials, so a dedicated SDS document may not exist yet.]
Regulatory status
Registration status: application for authorisation submitted to the Federal Office for Agriculture (BLW/OFAG); decision pending. Officially filed under the trade name “Symatec Soil Pellet” (CPID 1029997-42), status “in progress” as of 18.06.2026, classified under Product Function Category 103 “Other fertiliser.” ⚠ Do not publish the CPID or the PFC classification itself without checking with BLW/Hassan whether that’s appropriate to make public — and see the classification-conflict flag above this section. Certification status: [PLACEHOLDER — publish nothing here until confirmed. Note: the filing separately lists a Bio Suisse certificate for Kernser Edelpilze, the mushroom-substrate supplier — that is a supplier-level organic certification, not a certification of the finished product, and does not resolve this placeholder.]
Trial data
Full trial reports are published on our trials page, each with the untreated control, the site, the season and the number of plots.
Link: See the trial results →
Downloads
- Product specification (PDF) — [PLACEHOLDER — no public URL yet; a front label (“Symatec_Etiquette_Front”) and a quality control assessment already exist internally per the BLW filing’s document list and may be adaptable into a public PDF]
- Safety data sheet (PDF) — [PLACEHOLDER — link]
- Application instructions, one page, DE / FR / IT — [PLACEHOLDER — not on file]
Questions from procurement
For technical questions, tender wording or a specification in a different format: lorena.winiger@symactiv.ch