The initial development of an insecticide granule began with the choosing of a granular carrier for a turf insecticide. The physical properties and application swath width had to be acceptable to both lawn service and golf course applicators.

The properties considered important were the bulk density, dustiness, particle size, number of particles per pound or kilogram, absorptive capacity, and color. The materials evaluated as possible carriers were corncobs, vermicultie, attapulgite, montmorillonite, diatomite, and bentonite.

Bentonite was chosen as the preferred carrier for the development of the granule.

When the final formula was developed, an evaluation of various rotary and drop spreaders was initiated to measure the accuracy of the spreaders as well as the effective swath width. The number of particles per square inch and analyses were compared.

Bentonite survived all the tests and was chosen as the carrier of choice.