Agricultural Biostimulants: A New Era in Farming with ICL

In 2015 Patrick du Jardin defined plant biostimulants as “substances or microorganisms applied to plants to enhance nutrient efficiency, stress tolerance, and crop quality traits, regardless of their nutrient content”. To understand deeper the role of biostimulants in modern agriculture, it is necessary to explore their significance and applications.

Defining Agricultural Biostimulants

Biostimulants are unique in that they differ from conventional fertilizers and crop protection products. They enhance plant health and productivity through various applications, such as boosting crop yields, improving soil health, increasing stress tolerance, and supporting resilient lawns. Additionally, biostimulants can improve the quality and nutritional value of fruits and vegetables, aid in seedling emergence, and promote overall plant vigor.

How Biostimulants Work

Biostimulants enhance the plant’s natural processes to improve growth and resilience. They do not replace essential nutrients but work alongside them to optimize plant health.

Biostimulants promote natural processes within the plant. (Photo courtesy of ICL)

Types of Plant Biostimulants

Biostimulants can be derived from a variety of sources, each offering unique benefits:

• Amino Acids: These are the building blocks of proteins and play a crucial role in plant metabolism. Amino acid-based biostimulants can enhance protein synthesis, improve nutrient uptake, and influence various physiological processes, including stress responses and growth regulation.
• Humic and Fulvic Acids: Naturally occurring in soil, these substances result from the decomposition of organic matter. They improve soil structure, enhance nutrient availability, and stimulate root growth. Humic substances also help plants absorb and utilize nutrients more efficiently.
• Seaweed Extracts and Botanicals: Derived from various types of algae and plants, these extracts are rich in bioactive compounds. They promote plant growth, enhance stress tolerance, and improve overall plant health. Seaweed extracts, in particular, contain phytohormones, vitamins, and polysaccharides that support plant resilience against environmental stresses.
• Beneficial Fungi: These fungi form symbiotic relationships with plant roots, enhancing nutrient uptake and improving plant health. Mycorrhizal fungi, for example, extend the root system, increasing water and nutrient absorption. They also help plants resist diseases and environmental stresses.
• Beneficial Bacteria: These microorganisms interact with plant roots to promote nutrient supply and use efficiency. Some of them can fix atmospheric nitrogen, solubilize phosphorus, and produce growth-promoting substances like phytohormones. This leads to improved root and shoot growth, better nutrient uptake, and increased stress tolerance.
• Inorganic Compounds: Elements such as cobalt, iodine, selenium, and silicon are present in soils and plants in various forms. While not essential nutrients, they promote plant growth by strengthening cell walls, aiding in osmoregulation, and supporting hormone signaling.
• And much more: There is no limitation in the number or group of biostimulant substances. New unique biostimulant compounds are frequently discovered and used to modulate plant growth in various ways.

Biostimulants’ Mechanisms of Action

Biostimulants enhance plant growth and development by a variety of different modes of action. They are able to improve nutrient availability, increase stress tolerance, and stimulate natural growth processes. They optimize the plant’s inherent functions, which are often underutilized.

• Enhancing Nutrient Use Efficiency (NUE): Higher nutrient use efficiency (NUE) can significantly influence production costs and minimize environmental impact. Biostimulants improve nutrient use efficiency (NUE) by enhancing the plant’s ability to absorb and utilize nutrients. They can be used alongside fertilizers and reduce the need for additional inputs.
• Promoting Growth and Vigor: Biostimulants influence hormonal pathways that regulate growth. They promote synthesis of phytohormones like auxins, cytokinins and gibberelins, leading to increased plant vigor, better root development, and overall improved growth.
• Increasing Stress Resilience: By activating plants’ defense mechanisms biostimulants can help plants withstand environmental stresses such as drought, salinity, and extreme temperatures, ensuring productivity even under adverse conditions.

Roots from maize plants grown with biostimulants (right) show greater root length and volume than the control plants. (Photo by ICL Innovation Center in Iracemápolis, São Paulo, Brazil)

Market Growth and ICL’s Role in Biostimulant Innovation

The biostimulant market is expanding rapidly, driven by the growing demand for sustainable agricultural products. It is expected to grow from $4.03 billion in 2024 to $9.75 billion by 2032, reflecting a shift towards integrated plant nutrition systems that prioritize both biological and organic products, thereby promoting environmental sustainability.

ICL has been at the forefront of developing and applying biostimulants, offering innovative solutions that align with the principles of sustainable agriculture. Committed to sustainability, ICL focuses on improving crop resilience and reducing the environmental footprint of farming practices. ICL’s Bioz product line represents the cutting edge of biostimulant technology, designed to support various stages of plant development while enhancing overall crop performance in an eco-friendly manner. The Bioz range includes seed treatments, products for flowering and fruit setting, and solutions for stress tolerance and rapid recovery, all aimed at fostering a more sustainable agricultural model.

Conclusion

Biostimulants are essential for enhancing plant performance and promoting sustainable agricultural practices. The potential for new and innovative applications of biostimulants is vast, promising to unlock new levels of productivity and sustainability in farming. As a global leader in biostimulants, ICL is dedicated to continuous innovation, developing products that support sustainable farming practices worldwide. Biostimulants are set to become a crucial tool in the pursuit of a more sustainable and productive agricultural future.