I purchased Soybean Meal from my local feed store yesterday. The label reads as follows:

47.5% solvent extracted soybean meal

Crude protein, min. 47.5%

Crude fat, min. 0.5%

Crude fiber, max. 3.5%

Ingredients: solvent extracted soybean meal with added kaolin

Packaged by:

Tri State Packaging Co.

380 Smyser Rd.

Wooster, Ohio 44691

Net weight 50 lbs. (22.67 kg)

I have done some research on what exactly Kaolin is, and why it is added to this SBM. Kaolin is a white clay mineral with the chemical composition Al2Si2O5(OH)4. It is mined from open pits in the southeastern U.S. It has recently gained attention as an organic pesticide marketed under the name Surround (applied as a foliar spray).

Kaolin is USDA approved for addition to livestock feed not to exceed 2.5% by weight. It serves two purposes: to prevent clumping of the SBM, and to enhance the digestion of the meal in the ruminant's stomachs by preventing too rapid degradation of protein.

Does anyone have any thoughts or experiences with this type of Soybean Meal? I have seen that other posters here have used SBM with Calcium Carbonate added to prevent clumping. Would SBM with Kaolin be safe to apply as an organic fertilizer to my KBG lawn in Western Pennsylvania? Our soil here is primarily acidic clay, although my lawn has a pH of about 6.5 due to my annual limestone addition.

Thanks in advance.

PennGardener