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Bald patches on a lawn or golf course are a nuisance that Milliken, a company based in Spartanburg in South Carolina, believes it can solve (WO 03/053129). It says the culprit is humus, the organic component of soil formed when plant and animal matter decays. Humus contains a mix of acids, called humic acid, which reacts with sand in the soil to create a waxy water-repellent material that stops water soaking into the earth. The effect isn’t noticeable until a dried-out bald patch appears on a lawn. The patented cure is a mix of potassium sebacate and potassium adipate. This helps the waxy material dissolve into the soil, where it can help fertilise roots and allow the lawn to stay moist and green.