Abstract
5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) is a natural amino acid and key biosynthetic precursor of porphyrin such as chlorophyll and heme compounds. ALA is necessary for creature, but was not used in general because of difficulty of industrial production. After intensive study, we established ALA fermentation production by using chemical mutagen that increased the ALA productivity 200 times greater than before. Moreover, we found ALA enhances plant growth by increasing photosynthesis and also enhances stress tolerances such as salt tolerance in plants. We developed a new fertilizer containing ALA. The fertilizer showed growth promotion and yield increase in crops under the condition with or without environmental stresses in the field experiments all over the world.
