Biostimulants – beneficial microbes that include bacteria and fungi, and substances such as humic or fulvic acid, seaweed or botanical extracts, protein hydrolysates, chitosan and inorganic compounds – can improve plant health and resilience, and improve the efficiency of nutrient uptake. In particular, microbial biostimulants have shown potential in soilless media cultivation systems. Janet Kanters writes.
Michelle Jones likes to think of mycorrhizal fungi as the gateway to biostimulants. The professor and D.C. Kiplinger Floriculture Endowed Chair in the department of horticulture and crop science at Ohio State University/CFAES Wooster Campus has done extensive research into mycorrhizal fungi and how it benefits plants.
“Research on mycorrhizae or mycorrhizal fungi has been going on for many years and we know a lot about these organisms,” she notes. “And a lot of growers, if they want to try a biostimulant, they will start with something that includes mycorrhizae. So, it all starts there.”
Jones’ research includes biostimulant benefits – and cautions – in soilless media systems, specifically, how biostimulants react in soilless media as compared to soil-based applications. She says there are a lot of studies that have shown that if you use mycorrhizae as one of the common biostimulant ingredients, that mycorrhizae will work better in soils. The plants colonize better, they have a more exaggerated or a better plant growth response, and better stress tolerance.
Michelle Jones, Professor and D.C. Kiplinger Floriculture Endowed Chair in the department of horticulture and crop science at Ohio State University/CFAES Wooster Campus
“There are differences in the physical and the chemical properties between soil and peat, and there are pH differences,” she says. “In our research, we’ve used a lot of different commercial biostimulant products through our trials. And we’ve had somewhat limited success. Some of them work really well consistently. But with many of them, we really haven’t seen a benefit from them in the peat based soilless media system.”
Jones says one of the challenges, when using mycorrhizae as an example, there are thousands of fungal species that form mycorrhizal associations. “So it’s not just one fungi that’s mycorrhizal fungi, and they all have different characteristics,” she notes.
“You can find them in products and out in the environment, and R&D lines in the pipeline that will work really well in peat. And then there’s some that work really well only in soil. And that’s the challenge. Some of the products that are out there have been tested and formulated and put forward to the greenhouse market for use in soilless media; those components are compatible with peat moss and perlite and vermiculite. But then there are some that haven’t been evaluated to that level, and they may not work if you just take and translate it to that soilless mix.”
Some biostimulants have been formulated for soilless media.
Having said that, Jones says her research has found benefits of biostimulant use in soilless media systems. In particular, a product that has mycorrhizae incorporated into it can be beneficial. “These mycorrhizae have been selected for compatibility with the media components in these products, including the starter fertilizer,” she says.
Many of these microorganisms were isolated originally from very extreme environments, and that’s the reason that they can improve plant vigour or resilience under stress. Indeed, both mycorrhizae and the plant growth promoting bacteria have been shown to protect plants from water deficit and also to high temperature stress.
“You might not think that that’s very relevant or important in a greenhouse production environment, because these conditions are usually well controlled and optimized,” notes Jones. “But plants can experience temperature and water extremes during shipping or during retailing and these may be out of your control once you’ve produced the plant. These are things that cannot always be predicted. From this, the microbial biostimulant applications can improve the retail shelf life and quality of the plant ultimately for your consumer.”
Cautions abound, however. “You want to make sure that a specific biostimulant you’re interested in has been tested on the crops that you are growing. A lot of the biostimulants may have been tested in field crops, and so you want to make sure that they’re going to work for you on the different types of crops you’re growing in your greenhouse,” says Jones.
“There are a number of different biostimulant products that have multiple types of bacteria, multiple types of fungi. They may all be in one product. As long as those different microbes have been tested to make sure that they are compatible within this product, this may give you an option to have a product that is more efficient on a greater range of crops.”
Researchers at Vineland Research and Innovation Centre in Ontario, Canada, are currently testing and validating different biostimulant products for greenhouse vegetable production and nursery production, mainly looking at their effects on crop productivity and resistance to abiotic stresses. Through metabolomics analysis, they are developing biomarkers that will reliably predict biostimulant efficacy. They are screening products to check their effect against plant diseases, and in a previous project, they also looked at the indirect effect of biostimulants on pest populations, through induced plant defenses.
“The biggest interest is really to see if biostimulants can be used as a biofertilizer; so, will they give improved yield and plant growth,” says Rose Buitenhuis, senior research scientist, biological control, at Vineland.
Rose Buitenhuis, senior research scientist, biological control, at Vineland
Vineland has several contracts with biostimulant companies, working on testing and validating biostimulants to prove efficacy.
“In outdoor crops like grapes, there’s a lot of interest. And for hydroponic vegetables, there’s a lot of interest in tomatoes and cucumbers, and some cannabis as well,” she notes. “We also have a project where we test some biostimulants for chrysanthemums in soilless media, specifically peat moss. We don’t have a lot of results yet.”
The company interest “may have to do a little bit with how biostimulants have to be registered. So, if a company registers with the CFIA [Canadian Food Inspection Agency], they can market it as a biofertilizer. If they want to make any pest and disease claims, they have to register it through the PMRA [Pest
Management Regulatory Agency]. And that’s a more expensive and difficult process, so not all companies want to do that right away, unless there are real big benefits to be shown,” she says.
Buitenhuis does see a fit for biostimulants in greenhouse production, including soilless media and hydroponic systems. While she admits a lot of basic research still needs to be done, early research shows promise.
“I think there are products out there that can really give growers a good benefit, but it’s such a busy space right now that it’s sometimes a bit hard to see the forest for the trees,” she notes. “From what we’ve seen, there are so many different responses. Indeed, the effects can even depend on cultivars of the same species. If you talk tomatoes
There is a lot of interest in the use of biostimulants in hydroponic systems.
, some tomato cultivars show differences if you grow them with a biostimulant, and others don’t.”
Responses also depend on environmental conditions and stresses the plants are undergoing.
“I think if you work in real soil outdoors, with the local microbes that are already there, you have a head start. Growers have to work with what they already have and try to steer the soil towards a really strong beneficial community,” says Buitenhuis.
“With soilless media and hydroponics, however, you basically have the opportunity to build it from scratch. There are still local influences, like the local climate and what comes in the water and with the seeds and with the other inputs.
But you have much more opportunity to build the community that you need. I think that is what is very exciting about soilless media.” ●
For more on the use of biostimulants in plant growth, see Biostimulants finding their place in agriculture systems, in New AG International Nov-Dec 2021.
Portugal-based Rovensa has acquired Cosmocel, a developer, manufacturer and distributor of specialty biostimulants, based in Mexico. The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Cosmocel’s portfolio includes over 100 biostimulant, biocontrol and adjuvant products. Assets include three manufacturing facilities, 11 offices and 26 warehouses that serve customers in more than 50 countries across North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and South Africa.
Rovensa states the acquisition of Cosmocel expands Rovensa’s geographical footprint, bringing exposure to new geographies and enhanced access to strategic markets in the Americas. It also brings sizeable and versatile production capabilities in Mexico, additional R&D competences and material product synergies.
“The high quality and complementary range of biostimulants and bio-performance products of Cosmocel, their culture, their market approach, the quality and commitment of their people and management, and their production capacities will give us a unique position to offer the best nature-based solutions for our distributors and farmers, leveraging on our global scale and capabilities,” said Eric van Innis, Rovensa CEO. “We are determined to have a strong impact in sustainable agriculture that should be both productive and regenerative, in harmony with nature, making crops more resilient to climate change, and ultimately feed the world guarantying equity and health.”
Cosmocel will continue to operate as an independent company, led by the current management team. ●
FBSciences is establishing a new company, FBSciences Europe, as part of their overall global expansion strategy.
With the establishment of FBSciences Europe in the European Union (EU), FBSciences will leverage 15 years of research, a commercial footprint in other global markets, their long-standing manufacturing presence, and partnerships in Europe to commercialize in the $12 billion European agricultural market and bring their agricultural biologicals to European customers.
FBSciences Europe will launch with two initial product registrations: biostimulant product Transit Duo and zinc product Zicron registered and available for sale in Austria, Italy, France and Spain for the 2023 growing season, with additional plans to expand into a comprehensive line as their presence in the market grows.
FBSciences has had a manufacturing presence in Europe since their founding, and has done extensive independent research as well as pre-commercial trials with partners to support commercial activity in Europe.
“With years of successful research and trials on our technologies and products in Europe showing increased yield, stress mitigation, and improved plant, soil and climate health, we have seen strong interest from partners, distributors and growers,” said Courtenay Wolfe, chair and CEO of FBSciences. “There is tremendous demand in Europe for effective tools like agricultural biologicals that provide powerful climate adaptation and mitigation benefits while driving yield and ROI. We expect significant commercial momentum with the launch of FBSciences Europe.”
This expansion into Europe joins the recent establishment of FBSciences Brasil to mark a major milestone in FBSciences’ global expansion strategy. ●
Biobest has acquired a 60 percent stake in Biopartner sp z.o.o. Biopartner’s name will be changed into Biobest Polska.
Biopartner was established in 1992 and became the first distributor in Poland for Biobest Group NV, offering bumblebees and beneficial insects to greenhouse growers.
Now Biopartner/Biopest Polska offers biostimulants, biofertilizers, biopesticides and monitoring tools. The company deals with a range of crops including protected greenhouse crops, covered and outdoor berries and ornamentals.
“We strongly believe in the growth potential of the Polish market,” said Marc Mertens, CSO of Biobest Group NV. “With such a longstanding and strong relationship with Biopartner, we will further strengthen our offer and position in Poland. Biobest will increase its support to Biopartner and the Polish growers in order to further promote the use of biocontrol crop protection.” ●
Agro Inputs Manufacturers Association of India (AIM) has welcomed inclusion of biostimulants in the Fertiliser Control Order but demanded the government of India should allow micro-, small- and medium-enterprises (MSMEs) to submit pooled data, collected by the association, for registration process and enabling them to carry on their business. The Pune-based association, which was set up in 2010 and today has around 300 members, is in the possession of data for eight major biostimulants.
Pointing out that it would be difficult and unviable for the individual manufacturer to source these data, AIM wants that its pooled data should be allowed to be used by small manufacturers for completing their registration process.
A notification issued in 2019 had brought biostimulants into the purview of Fertiliser Control Order (FCO) 1985. AIM said the guidelines should also encourage innovation, be more industry-friendly and promote label claim-based products. AIM Association is now in the possession of all the requisite data which is required for inclusion of biostimulants in Schedule VI as per notification. AIM has proposed to the government authorities to accept this pooled data so that the small to medium industries can use this data and keep their business prospects alive. The per-product cost of above data creation is around Rs 30 lakhs, which is not affordable for MSMEs. The association argues that pooled data is not a new concept in the registration of agrochemicals and therefore, the same should be accepted in the case of biostimulants. The most important use of this pooled data will be the success of new biostimulant notification as thousands of small to big manufacturers can avail this data and register themselves in new Schedule VI. ●
Tradecorp and the Centre for Plant Biotechnology and Genomics (CBGP) have launched a joint research unit called Biological Solutions for Sustainable Agriculture. The goal of the initiative is to develop global bio-based products and solutions for a more sustainable agriculture.
The alliance will work as an innovation accelerator, expanding the ecosystem of action in the field of biostimulants, promoting research, generating knowledge and developing product solutions.
According to José Nolasco, strategy and innovation director with Tradecorp, Tradecorp will provide its experience in testing the efficacy of products and new technologies in real conditions of agricultural production, and in the formulation and industrial production of high-efficiency biostimulants.
“As experts in biostimulation and sustainable nutrition of crops, the first projects in the joint unit will focus on biomolecules and microorganisms as new solutions, which are characterized by being safe and sustainable and have shown to contribute to reduce the use of chemical-based inputs and the pollution of soils and environment, and to improve the production of healthier and quality food,” noted Nolasco.
The research unit will be located in the facilities of the CBGP, which is a centre that belongs to the Alliance of Centres of Excellence Severo Ochoa and Units of Excellence María de Maeztu Units (SOMMa). ●
British inoculant and biostimulant pioneer Legume Technology is partnering with Spanish agri-biotech company Green Universe Agriculture in a bid to meet the growing demand for novel, sustainable inputs.
The new partnership will see the two companies sharing knowledge about new bacterial strains and technologies. Legume Technology focuses on crop/bacteria interactions, while Green Universe products exploit the effects of the secondary metabolites produced by bacteria – substances that can act as biofertilizers or biostimulants.
It is expected the alliance will create new, high-tech solutions that focus on maximizing yield using micro-organisms.
According to Bruce Knight, Legume Technology’s CEO and founder, joining forces with Green Universe gives Legume Technology an
opportunity to use new bacterial strains and novel technologies.
“Since Legume Technology was launched more than 20 years ago, our research-led ambition has been to expand understanding of soil and root microbes in everyday, large-scale agriculture, and identify routes for more widespread adoption,” he said. “By striking this alliance with Green Universe, we can leverage the differences in the two companies’ approach to biotechnology. We can ‘turbocharge’ the development and roll-out of a new generation of agricultural bioproducts while cutting costs for growers by helping them reduce inputs such as artificial nitrogen.”
Ignacio Horche, founder of Green Universe, noted the partnership is a strengthening of the two companies’ portfolios. “The alliance will create new and exciting products, high-tech solutions that focus on maximizing yield using micro-organisms,” he said. “Crucially, the alliance allows us to expand the benefits of micro-organisms to more crop types. With a combined customer base reaching 50 markets around the world, there’s never been a better time to pool our expertise and use our contrasting approaches to transfer knowledge between different crops, sectors and markets.”
The alliance between the two companies will be known as the Green Group, acting as a vehicle for future acquisitions as opportunities arise. Legume Technology and Green Universe will each retain their current operating locations – Legume Technology in Nottingham, UK; Green Universe in Madrid, Spain – allowing a shared approach to product knowledge and technical support to emerge, to serve the interests and needs of distributors and end-users more efficiently. ●
BioConsortia, Inc. and The Mosaic Company have entered into a new agreement to distribute BioConsortia’s new microbial biostimulant in Asia.
The new biostimulant BEC69 is branded as ZAFFRE in North America and is expected to provide growers with significant value by optimizing root conditions to help the plant use available nutrients in the soil. It is based on naturally occurring, beneficial bacteria that
colonize the roots of plants, stimulate growth and increase crop yields.
ZAFFRE has demonstrated a high level of consistency in field trials in the United States on a wide range of crops, both as a drench and as a seed treatment. The company claims that key fruit and vegetable crops such as tomatoes and beans have repeatedly demonstrated yield increases averaging 15 percent over multiple seasons of study. The biostimulant has also repeatedly shown positive impacts on germination of high value vegetable seeds in both stressed and optimal conditions. ZAFFRE can be used alongside BioConsortia’s nitrogen fixing microbial products.
This is the third agreement between BioConsortia and Mosaic, and expands on recent announcements that Mosaic will develop and commercialize BioConsortia’s nitrogen fixing microbial products for row crops in the Americas and for all crops in major Asian countries. ●
