What do you understand with the term biostimulant? Bio + Stimulant, here Bio signifies the bioproducts that are based on materials, chemicals, and energy derived from renewable biological material, and Stimulant means a substance, when applied, that stimulates nutrient uptake and nervous activity. So biostimulant products are the substances or microorganisms applied to plants with the aim to increase nutrient efficiency, abiotic stress tolerance, and crop quality traits no matter what the nutrient content is.
The impact of fertilizers and pesticides is no more a hidden fact and hence enhances the need for an organic alternative. One such organic alternative is planting using biostimulant products which reduce the harmful side effects of the environment on agriculture while producing enough yield for the growing population.
What exactly are Biostimulant Fertilizers?
Organic plant biostimulant fertilizers stimulate nutrient uptake and help plants to grow well and metabolize effectively while improving their root mass along with needed soil microorganisms.
These stimulants can be used alone or in a fertilizer mix. Almost any state of plants can benefit from the advantages of organic biostimulant fertilizers, whether it be in the form of flowers, grass, trees and, importantly, vegetables.
There are various categories of biostimulants. These include:
· Humic substances
· Seaweed extracts
· Protein hydrolysates
· Bacteria and fungi
What is the importance of Biostimulants?
The increasing population demands a more sustainable, environmentally friendly, and organic crop production process. Plant biostimulants are the best organic alternative to the conventional fertilizers used at present. The major role of these fertilizers is to stimulate nutrient use, uptake, and efficiency. With the use of these biostimulants, farmers can depend less on fertilizers and pesticides to improve the quality and quantity of their crops.
The following are a few key advantages of using organic biostimulant fertilizers:
· By giving the crops the right nutrition and insect protection, we may significantly increase the crop output under various growth situations.
· Monitoring of difficult weather conditions and erratic weather patterns.
· Farmer returns on investment are higher.
· Improve soil health by promoting the development of various microorganisms.
On the other side, products like synthetic fertilizers and fungicides adversely impact environmental health. For instance, synthetic products:
· May impact aquatic ecosystems by soil drainage into large bodies of water (lakes, streams, rivers, etc.).
· Destroy soil-based beneficial bacteria that can transform plant debris into nutrient-rich, high-quality organic materials.
A key point that should not be missed is that agriculture industry workers suggest that biostimulants can’t be used in place of fertilizers; however, they can be used as a beneficial and healthy add-on. This mindset will lessen the use of fertilizers due to the ability of biostimulants to improve the efficiency of nutrient use.
What does the research say?
The market of biostimulants has gained much attention in recent years. Hence from the definition and effectiveness to how they function, every topic has remained a hot subject of debate. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in their 2019 draft guidance, define biostimulants as:
“A naturally-occurring substance or microbe that is used either by itself or in combination with other naturally-occurring substances or microbes for the purpose of stimulating natural processes in plants or in the soil in order to, among other things, improve nutrient and/or water use efficiency by plants, help plants tolerate abiotic stress, or improve the physical, chemical, and/or biological characteristics of the soil as a medium for plant growth”.
When it comes to planting growth, biostimulants can be your mate. These are the types of soil fertilizers that are a matter of discussion but impact effectively. We at Fitochem provide biostimulant products that will effectively improve your plants nutrient uptake.
Need Biostimulants? Call us at: 552-625-4136.