Why Use Biostimulants in Sustainable Farming?

Biostimulants are a valuable tool for today’s farmers. They provide new ways to improve crop growth while supporting sustainable farming. When used alongside fertilizers and other farm inputs, biostimulants help create a balanced and effective approach to more sustainable crop growth.

What are Biostimulants?

Biostimulants are substances or microorganisms that enhance natural processes to improve plant growth and health. Biostimulants work in many different ways, but in broad terms, they boost nutrient uptake, improve stress tolerance, and stimulate plant development. Unlike fertilizers, which provide nutrients directly, biostimulants do not generally include nutrients. Instead, they help plants make better use of existing resources and better tolerate – or recover from – any abiotic stresses they may face.

Six Reasons to Consider Biostimulants

This list of six reasons helps explain the value of biostimulants, demonstrating why farmers should consider using them in their crop production to improve sustainability.

Ease of Use

Biostimulants are simple to incorporate into existing farming routines. ICL’s different biostimulants are either applied as seed treatments, using in-furrow injection during planting, through fertigation systems, as a broadcast spray over the soil, or as a foliar spray. As such, they are easy to use and don’t require any unique equipment or unusual techniques to apply and use, making them a convenient addition to crop production systems. This convenience is a real advantage over other products that can require significant changes to farming practices to improve sustainability.

Work for any Crop at any Stage

Biostimulants are flexible. There are ICL biostimulants for all types of crops and crop growth stages. Some are crop-specific or designed for application at a specific crop stage, while others are more versatile and will provide a boost whenever they are applied. This makes them a valuable tool for growers looking to improve sustainability.

And importantly, all farming systems can utilize biostimulants. Unlike many other sustainable practices that are only appropriate for specific farming systems, biostimulants offer a universal solution. This flexibility means every farmer can adopt biostimulants, no matter what they grow, how they farm, or where in the world they are.

Increase Nutrient Use Efficiency

Biostimulants help fertilizers to work better. By improving how plants absorb nutrients, biostimulants boost how well fertilizers work, helping reduce nutrient waste, and meaning that farmers can get better results using fewer resources. This is in line with sustainable farming goals, including those outlined in the European Union’s Green Deal Farm to Fork strategy.

Cost-Effective Solutions

Biostimulants are a smart investment. Their cost per hectare is relatively low, yet they provide a rapid return on investment. Biostimulants can improve seed germination, boost root system growth, raise nutrient use efficiency, increase flower setting and pod retention, and speed up a plant’s recovery from stress. These actions all help to make biostimulants a valuable addition to the farming toolkit.

Improve Photosynthesis, Increasing Carbon Storage

Biostimulants help plants photosynthesize more effectively. As a result, plants can capture more carbon from the air, boosting growth and crop yield. However, there are more benefits resulting from improved photosynthesis than increases in crop yield alone.

Crops incorporate carbon into the soil through different processes, including exuding carbon-rich compounds from their roots into the surrounding soil. In addition, by increasing the carbon content of the above-ground biomass and crop root systems, more carbon can be incorporated into the soil at harvest. Incorporating more carbon into the soil helps to improve soil health, bringing a wider range of benefits to crops and the environment.

Boost Yields and Reduce Carbon Footprints

By helping crops grow better and use resources more efficiently, biostimulants increase yields. This consequently lowers the carbon footprint of farming. These benefits highlights an important aspect of biostimulant use: increasing farm productivity and improving sustainability.

These six points demonstrate how biostimulants are a smart choice for farmers who want to increase productivity while being mindful of the environment. Biostimulants are practical, flexible, effective, and sustainable. Explore ICL’s biostimulants to discover how to incorporate them into your farming system.