Biostimulants

A biostimulant is a product of biological origin that improves crop productivity. Biostimulants are seen as a potential part solution to stimulate plant growth, increase yield, reduce plant sensitivity to abiotic stress factors like high temperature and water-saturated soils, and reduce dependency on fertilisers and pest control products.

There is a long list of different growth stimulating products that can be divided into different categories depending on their composition and origin:

Microbial biostimulants that consist of fungi or bacteria

Microorganisms can operate through different modes of action, notably by improving nutrient uptake or nitrogen fixation or by inducing pest resistance.

Examples of such microorganisms include Rhizobacteria, Azotobacter spp., Mycorrhiza, Glomus, Azotobacter, and Methylobacterium.

Humic acids, fulvic acids and hydrolyzed proteins and amino acids

Amino acid based biostimulants (i.e. protein hydrolyzed) originate from chemical or biological hydrolysis of animal or plant protein rich raw materials. Humic acid based preparations are extracted from leonardite, an organic material associated with lignite, that has not yet completed the process of transformation into coal. Sustainable deposits for extraction are found in several parts of the world.

Seaweed and seaweed extract

These products are sustainably extracted from algae and seaweed species, most often from brown seaweed and Kelp. Seaweed preparations have a chelating effect and contain substances that stimulate growth and counteract stress symptoms.

Most biostimulants have a positive effect on plant growth, quality and yield, but how powerful this effect will be, depends on the culturing conditions.