History of A. O. 458
FARM CROPS PROCESSING: During World War II, H. E. Kistner Sr., a
chemist and animal nutritionist worked at Omaha, NE. for Farm Crops a
manufacturer of industrial
alcohol. He assumed a position of consumer
education and sales of Distillers dried grains and solubles for animal
consumption.
MOLD BRAN: Another
by product was the mycelium from the mold Aspergillus oryzae, utilizing it's high amalyse activity. Mr. Kistner experimented
with animal-feeding trials and became fascinated with the results.
Noting, unique growth and feeding efficiency, he worked with A. oryzae
in the field of animal and plant nutrition for the rest of his life.
AMAFERM AND BIO-ZYME,
INC.
Mr. H. E. Kistner Sr. patented a deep culture fermentation process with A. oryzae for animal feeds. Bio-Zyme, Inc. of Hospers, Ia., was formed in 1959 with James L. Kistner Sr., H. E. Kistner Sr., Harold Kistner Jr. and Peter Robinet. Amaferm® and Gx® are the products produced by this patented process. In 1969 Bio-Zyme Enterprises directed by Larry and Butch Ehlert of St. Joseph, Mo. purchased exclusive rights to manufacture and sell these products.
James L. Kistner Sr. left Hospers, Ia.,in 1967, locating near Cave City, Arkansas, doing development and testing of two new fermentation products, Purge® for septic tanks and Agronite, a trace-mineral, nitrogen fixing soil amendment.
1980’s and 1990’s Harold Kistner Jr. and others of Aransas Pass, Texas organized a company to market a product for plants called Golden X. Sadly, Harold Jr. passed away shortly after the company was established and as we understand it, the product is no longer available.
A NEW PATENT: H. E. Kistner Sr. was awarded a new patent for plants, soil, roots and foliage. The product involved the production of chitin and nitrogen fixation by A. oryzae. Patent. Larry Ehlert of ST. Joseph, Mo. and H. E. Kistner Sr., both being of advanced age, worked together as a team to introduce this new product with Chitin Technology to the agricultural community. They were working with improvement of unproductive soils—the result of high chemical applications and eroded from intense cultivation practices.
Mr. Ehlert noted the increase of earth worms where the product was applied to soils.Missouri Cattleman Article His observations are now substantiated by work with chitin, chitosan and chitinase on soil, plant response. Mr. Kistner continued with lab work on fermentations, and bio-chemical reactions until his death in 1997.
Presently, James L. Kistner Sr. the only survivor of the original Bio-Zyme, Inc., of Hospers, Io, is involved with further investigations and application of his father’s research.