Edward Rosenthal, D.Sc. (h.c.)

Founder and President
Florikan ESA

7 U.S. Patents

Edward Rosenthal, D.Sc. (h.c.) is the Founder and President of Florikan ESA, a pioneering agricultural company headquartered in Sarasota, Florida. With over four decades of leadership in sustainable agriculture and controlled-release fertilizer technologies, Dr. Rosenthal has grown Florikan into a nationally recognized innovator, developing breakthrough solutions that have transformed fertilization practices for commercial growers, homeowners, and NASA scientists alike.

Dr. Rosenthal earned his bachelor’s degree from Concordia University (formerly Sir George Williams University) in Montreal, Canada.

Dr. Rosenthal’s landmark innovations in controlled-release fertilizer technology addressed a fundamental flaw in conventional fertilization: nutrient inefficiency and environmental runoff. Recognizing that traditional fertilizers often lead to significant waste and pollution, he developed Staged Nutrient Release™ fertilizer (SNR) technology, a novel system that delivers essential nutrients in sync with plant growth cycles. By encapsulating nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium separately and blending them into custom formulas, Dr. Rosenthal created a single, efficient product tailored to plant development. This innovation has significantly reduced fertilizer use and nutrient leaching, while improving crop yield and resource efficiency, advancing both agricultural sustainability and environmental protection, particularly in sensitive ecosystems like Florida’s waterways.

A trained polymer chemist, Dr. Rosenthal also identified the potential for SNR applications in space. In 2014, he began collaborating with NASA’s Space Crop Production team to develop fertilizer formulations for use aboard the International Space Station (ISS). His contributions were instrumental in optimizing plant growth in NASA’s Veggie and Advanced Plant Habitat experiments, which now rely on Florikan fertilizers to grow leafy greens, tomatoes, peppers, wheat, and other crops. These controlled-release formulations provide precise nutrient delivery in the confined, resource-limited environments of space, offering a critical solution for sustaining life on future missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Florikan’s SNR technology is now the sole fertilizer used on the ISS as part of NASA’s Veggie program.

Beyond the laboratory, Dr. Rosenthal is a certified Space Educator and passionate advocate for STEM education. He has helped bridge the gap between advanced science and classroom learning, reinforcing his role not just as an inventor, but as a visionary leader in the future of agriculture. Through partnerships with programs like the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden’s Growing Beyond Earth initiative, Dr. Rosenthal has empowered tens of thousands of students nationwide to engage with real-world space and agricultural science.

Dr. Rosenthal holds seven U.S. patents, and he has been recognized with numerous awards, including the National Society of Professional Engineers Award. In 2017, he and Florikan, in collaboration with NASA KSC and SATOP, were inducted into the Space Technology Hall of Fame for the development of the encapsulated Staged Nutrient Release Fertilizer. Dr. Rosenthal and Florikan were also recognized as one of NASA’s leading technology transfer innovations and were featured in two issues of NASA Spinoff magazine in 2017 and 2018. Concordia University awarded him an Honorary Doctorate in 2023 in recognition of his lasting impact on agritechnology and environmental sustainability.

Dr. Rosenthal earned his bachelor’s degree from Concordia University (formerly Sir George Williams University) in Montreal, Canada.