Yucca Extract – what to look for in yucca products

Authentic Yucca Extract is not cheap, so when purchasing a product purporting to be Yucca Extract you will want to have confidence that it is truly 100% Yucca. This is especially true as the there are a number of products on the market that have been diluted down, or are ‘ersatz’ version that have had synthetic surfactants added in an attempt to mimic the natural soap-activity of Yucca.

So here are our top tips for assessing a Yucca product;

Colour

Yucca-containing products should be a dark brown colour. If you put it into a glass beaker then it should not be transparent. Swirl it around the beaker and you should resemble molasses/treacle.

Odour

Yucca Extract has a sweet smell that gets more pronounced when heated. Any ‘chemical’ smell is a sign that synthetic surfactants has been added.

Soap activity

Add 1 mL of the extract to a litre of water and give it a shake. The solution should foam up. This is due to the natural saponins in the product. Add a small amount of oil to the mixture and it should emulsify due to the presence of the natural surfactants.

pH

Yucca products should be mildly acidic (pH 3.5-5.0). If the product you receive is alkaline, it is likely to contain synthetic surfactants (such as sodium lauryl ether sulphate). However, even if the pH is mildly-acidic, this is not 100% proof that it is authentic Yucca extract, as some synthetic surfactants can be stable at this pH. In this case, use the other criteria to assess the product.

If your product passes all these tests, you can be fairly confident that it is authentic Yucca Extract. With our technical know-how here at Eutrema, we are able to manufacture the highest quality Yucca extract products, and can advise you on how to use Yucca extract products on your crops.

For more information on Eutrema’s Yucca Extract visit our product page: https://eutrema.co.uk/shop/biostimulants/yucca-extract/

Dr Russell Sharp

Eutrema Ltd