Types of biostimulants and their impact on agriculture

Added on 22 July 2022

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Types of biostimulants and their impact on agriculture

European Biostimulant Industry Council uses a functional definition to describe biostimulants that was developed over the course of a year-long consultation process with stakeholders including researchers, regulators and related industry sectors: "Plant biostimulant means a material which contains substance(s) and/or microorganisms whose function when applied to plants or the rhizosphere is to stimulate natural processes to benefit nutrient uptake, nutrient efficiency, tolerance to abiotic stress, and/or crop quality, independently of its nutrient content."

Types of biostimulants

Among the biostimulants, within the types, acid-based biostimulants, algae and plant extracts, microbial biostimulants and inorganic compounds are mentioned below.

In each case, these types of biostimulants present their own benefits in terms of fertility improvement, vigor enhancement, plant health advantages, and increased quality of agricultural crops. The detailed explanation of the different types of biostimulants that can be found in the market and that fall within the definition above is as follows:

Acid-Based Biostimulants

Humic substances, which include humic and fulvic acids, are among the most common organic substances on earth, making up much of the organic matter in the world's soils. Humic and fulvic acids are complex organic molecules of diverse structure and composition that form in the soil as byproducts of the decomposition and microbial metabolism of plant and animal residues. Most biostimulant effects of humic substances refer to the amelioration of root nutrition, via different mechanisms. They can be applied in various ways, including direct application to the soil, foliar application, incorporation into fertilizer and other products, and through irrigation water.

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Courtesy of Futureco Bioscience