Biostimulant Innovations in Soybean Cultivation in Brazil

The success of soybean cultivation in Brazil is largely based on innovations and efficient management practices using newly developed products and technologies, and at the same time stressing the importance of sustainability, trying to grow soybean in systems which reduce environmental impacts of farming.

The Rise of Biostimulants

The new innovative products gaining in importance in crop cultivation often fall under the category of biostimulants, i.e. products based on synthetic or natural compounds which improve yield and quality by stimulating plant’s metabolism, enhancing nutrient uptake and increasing plant’s resilience to stresses.

ICL believes biostimulants are products with a promising future and therefore the company has invested a lot in the development of this area. It is logical that in Brazil the applications are widely tested in soybean as one of the most popular crops.

ICL’s Products in Soybean Production

Soybean in Brazil is often grown on depleted, nutrient-poor soils which need a careful management to maintain fertility and steady crop productivity. For successful cultivation it is essential to add nutrients and organic matter to the soil, prevent compaction and care for a healthy microbial life in the soil. Therefore, ICL’s agronomy team in Brazil decided to test several of the new biostimulant products in soybean cultivation.

Bioz Diamond can be applied to promote soil microbiota and the overall soil health necessary for successful root system development. It is a product based on bioactive compounds and organic acids. It increases nutrient uptake efficiency and the resilience of plants against environmental stresses.

As other Fabacae family crops, soybean can fix atmospheric nitrogen due to symbiosis with bacteria from the Rhizobia group. To support this biological nitrogen fixation, ICL has introduced inoculant products based on Bradyrhizobium (Actibio Brady) and Azospirillum (Actibio Azos) bacteria which can improve nitrogen fixation and thus enhance the crop productivity.

The activity of the inoculants can be efficiently boosted by the use of biostimulants. For that purpose, ICL successfully tested two biostimulant products: Bioz Topaz and Bioz Nephrite.

Bioz Topaz contains a seaweed extract mixed with micronutrients. It supports nitrogen fixing bacteria and supplies nutrition at the same time.  Bioz Topaz is successfully used for seed treatment as it is compatible with other biological products. In a research performed in soybean, a Bioz Topaz treatment has increased the number of nodules per plant by 66% and yields by 11%.

The compatibility of Bioz Topaz with Bradyrhizobium japonicum (a) and Azospirillum brasilense (b) versus two competitor products and the control: number of nodule per soybean plant (left) and soybean crop yield (right).

As the fixation of nitrogen continues throughout the whole soybean growth cycle, it is essential to keep the root nodules active by optimizing photosynthesis and plant metabolism. Bioz Nephrite is a product which increases photosynthetic activity and promotes the accumulation of metabolites in plant tissues.

A study performed with an isotope marked nitrogen proved that a combined application of Bioz Topaz and Bioz Nephrite increased the biological nitrogen fixation by 33%, which had an immediate effect on the volume, weight and number of nodules.

Soybean crop performance of Bioz Topaz and Bioz Nephrite (both individual and combined treatments) versus the control: percentage of biological nitrogen fixation (top) and nodule weight from five soybean plants (bottom)

Another ICL’s biostimulant range product, Bioz Onyx, has shown to help increase flower set and pod retention. As up to 80% soybean flowers may be lost due to abscission, it is an important factor affecting soybean productivity. In collaboration with universities and trial stations, ICL commissioned a set of soybean trials in different regions using Bioz Onyx, a product promoting the synthesis of gibberellins and cytokinins, i.e. phytohormones related to flowering and fruiting. The results demonstrated an average increase of 8% in soybean productivity, which may bring a significant economic benefit for growers.

ICL has developed also other biostimulant products which can be successfully used in soybean cultivation for different purposes like amino-acid-based products Bioz Moonstone and Bioz Kellus for mitigating abiotic stress effects, Bioz Sapphire for stimulating cell division, or inorganic biostimulant Nutriduo, containing NPK, trace elements and amino acids, used in the grain filling stage to enhance the transfer of sugars from leaves to grains.

Biostimulants’ Future and its challenges

Looking at the latest research innovations and continuously growing array of practical applications,  ICL is convinced about the bright future which awaits this product group. The fact that biostimulants can enhance the effectivity of fertilizers and other agrochemicals leads to further improvements of sustainability, crop quality and yields.In combination with genetic engineering, precision farming, regenerative agriculture and AI-assisted data processing, this will surely have a positively impact on farm productivity and profitability.

In Brazil, the use of biostimulant on soybean was a real success story, however it has also raised questions regarding product regulation and standardization. It is obvious that the creation and implementation of clear protocols is crucial to provide producers with necessary confidence to market these innovative products and expand their use worldwide.