Rufford launches new XL top dressing

February 2010

This month sees the official launch of Rufford’s new XL, a patented top dressing which utilises lignite as an organic amendment in place of soil or peat. The company (part of Sibelco UK) is promoting XL’s environmental benefits on the basis that the use of lignite (drawn from Rufford’s extensive reserves in the Bovey Basin, Devon) avoids the environmental impact associated with the extraction of traditional organics.

“As well as offering a more environmentally-friendly alternative to peat or soil, our lignite brings a range of additional benefits,” said Mick Higgins, Rufford’s Technical Manager. “These include soil conditioning, improved wetting, better nutrient retention and a healthier plant. XL also produces less dust during application and integrates well into the surface with its attractive, dark-coloured appearance.”

The introduction of XL further enhances Rufford’s environmental credentials having last year become the first quarry company in the UK to gain the Carbon Trust Standard. Sibelco UK (the company behind the Rufford brand) has cut carbon emissions by more than 25,000 tonnes across its UK sites over the past five years.

For more information visit www.rufford.com