Biostimulants

Plant biostimulants stimulate natural processes in plants to enhance nutrient uptake and efficiency, crop quality, and tolerance to abiotic stress, benefitting both plant yield and vigour. This ensures that plants have good baseline strength and health, making plants less vulnerable to stress, pests, and other threats, including climate shocks. Biostimulant products can help farmers adapt their agricultural systems to an increasingly volatile climate while enhancing food production sustainability, thereby contributing to a climate-smart farm model for the future, which is both resilient and flexible.

There are many categories of biostimulants. The most popular are humic acids, seaweed extracts, liquid manure composting and beneficial bacteria and fungi. 1. Humic, fulvic acids and amino acids– parts of soil organic matter resulting from the decomposition of plant, animal, and microbial residues. 2. Plants and Seaweed Extracts 3. Inorganic compounds 4. Microbials (Beneficial bacteria and fungi)

Asia-Pacific and Latin America are outpacing the rest of the world in biostimulant growth, increasing 12.5% and 12.7%, respectively, driven by the regions' relatively late adoption and room for growth, consumers' increasing willingness to pay for higher-quality agricultural products, and the need for more efficient use of resources. Brazil, China and India also present significant market opportunities together with Indonesia and sub-Saharan African countries such as Nigeria. Growing awareness among farmers about the benefits of biostimulants in increasing productivity is undoubtedly a factor that enhances the growth of the market. The market is also growing due to increasing adoption of sustainable farming methods moreover political and government backing for more sustainable farming technologies. The Farm to Fork strategy, which has set targets such as reducing fertilizer use by at least 20% by 2030, is at the heart of the European Union's Green Deal and is a clear example that support for biostimulants is set to gain traction.

Already in 2022, the primary food production sector has to meet future policy changes: the new policy content of the EU Circular Economy Fertilising Products Regulation (EU 2019/1009) that has been approved on June 5, 2019 will now be effectively implemented starting July 2022. The regulation puts down rules on the making available on the market of EU fertilising products and amending Regulations (EC) No 1069/2009 and (EC) No 1107/2009 and repealing Regulation (EC) No 2003/2003. This new regulatory framework will undoubtedly be a step forward in the European regulation and recognition of the biostimulants industry and will favor companies like Futureco Bioscience, which innovate, research and develop biostimulants based on market needs, but guarantee at the same time effectiveness, reliability and environmentally safety. It is also true that Futureco Bioscience currently exports to approximately 60 countries and has always had an international focus. This approach gives us a great advantage in regulatory terms in that we have a regulatory department that has a lot of experience in adapting to and dealing with the peculiarities of very different regulations at a global level. Including the most demanding ones, and with such different approaches as the American regulations, those of some North African countries such as Egypt or the Mexican regulations.

Classified based on their source rather than constitution, biostimulants have a proven potential in improving plant growth, increasing crop production and quality, as well as ameliorating stress effects. However, the multi-molecular nature and varying composition of commercially available biostimulants presents challenges when attempting to elucidate their underlying mechanisms. While most research has focused on the broad effects of biostimulants in crops, recent studies at the molecular level have started to unravel the pathways triggered by certain products at the cellular and gene level. Understanding the molecular influences involved in the mechanism of action, could not only lead to further refinement of these treatments but also to scientifically demonstrate their effect on crops and therefore to professionalize the sector, avoiding unprofessional intrusions. This advancement is backed up by research in the biostimulants sector, that has experienced a strong and progressive increase in the number of publications in recent years and in 2021, the number of publications has increased even more, reaching more than 450 papers published at international level.

The perception of these products has changed as scientific arguments have supported their functionalities, and producers have been able to confirm on their own farms the role of the use of these products in achieving their qualitative and quantitative objectives. For many years, and in some cases still today, biostimulants have been considered something nice to apply, but not essential. At first, biostimulants were relegated to export agriculture and above all to crops with higher added value, but little by little, seen their impact in terms of yield, quality and management of production, their use has become more widespread. In recent years, its use is already common in extensive crops or cereals. After the pandemic in 2020, it was assumed that with rising input costs, they would have been the first to be cut, but trends seem to be going in the opposite direction.

In today’s agricultural industry, most areas worldwide are vulnerable to abiotic stress, a leading hindrance of crop production. Additionally, droughts, extreme temperatures, high winds and other forms of weather volatility can cause hydric stress, considerably reducing crop quality and yield. To overcome these obstacles and optimize agricultural input, many farmers turn to biostimulants for crop enhancement. Our trusted portfolio of commercially available products delivers solutions to meet growers’ most demanding needs for maximizing return on investment and crop yield.

It is clear that popuparity of biostimulants is increasing and they are becoming common in the agricultural sector. New products are continuously emerging to promote optimal vegetative growth of the plants or trees in our fields. This is why it is also very important to know what these types of solutions are made of and what are their effects on plants. At Futureco Bioscience we provide added value through the experience of our team of plant physiologists, agronomists, chemists and biologists that allows us to rigorously design the best efficacy of products based on plant physiology and the molecular mechanism of the active ingredients. As a result of our strong commitment to Research and Development, we are able not only to manufacture innovative formulations based on our own collection of microorganisms and raw materials of plant origin, but also to extensively test efficacies, compatibilities and possible toxicities both in the laboratory and in the field.

Understanding the mode of action of biostimulants is critical not only to produce good customer advice but above all to develop more effective formulations. Many manufacturers produce their own brands from similarly sourced materials and generally market them based on research highlighting the increased yields and/or crop quality achieved. However, these studies only go as far as identifying the economic benefits of using the product, and do little in the way of understanding how the product achieves the enhanced yields and/or quality. Our research and state of the art technology is aiming to probe further into the underlying genetic and molecular mechanisms by which biostimulants promote plant growth, and environmental stress tolerance.

Yes of course. Approximately 65% of our biostimulants portfolio has organic certification obtained with the most prestigious certification bodies such as BCS-ÖKO, OMRI and CAAE. Indeed, ror a plant food to be considered organic, it is essential that its production system has not used agricultural inputs that are not suitable for organic farming. The products for organic agriculture achieve the certification when it meets the standards and conditions that are defined in the laws on organic farming, two of the most important and recognized worldwide being Regulation CE 889/2008 in Europe and the USDA / Standard. But obtaining the certification of products for organic farming is much more than complying with a regulation. The absence of unsuitable residues in its composition, as well as its biodegradability without leaving residues in the crops and the environment, stable and effective formulations against the needs of the crop, raw materials of natural origin (mineral, vegetable or animal), non-GMO (genetically modified organisms) are common characteristics to this type of input, which allows them to significantly differentiate themselves from other products on the market.

As it happens in the sector we offer four categories of biostimulants based on their primary active compoment and composition: humic, fulvis acids and aminoacids, plants and seawed extracts, inorganic compounds and microbials. Beside, our biostimulants are formulated to solve a particular physiological problem, to potentiate a specific function of the plant methabolism or to improve the hield of a specific phenological phase. Our portfolio of biostimulants can therefore be divided into products for root development and enhancement, products to overcome stress conditions, products to enhance flowering or improve fruits set, and products to improve all aspects of fruits maturation.

Biostimulants work by stimulating plant nutrition processes independently of the product's nutrient content, improving nutrient use efficiency, stress tolerance, quality traits or the availability of confined nutrients in soil or rhizosphere. Taken individually, of course, Each biostimulant has its own mechanism of action. Bioradicante for axample, a biostimulant designed to improve the entire root system and the rhizosphere and based on aminoacids obtained by fermentation of Brevibacter sp. Impact on the transcriptomic profiles of 9202 genes, of which 4210 over-expressed and 4992 repressed. Among the over-expressed, genes involved in the biosynthesis of corismate and tryptophan, two key precursors in auxin biosynthesis. Specifically, overexpressed genes were identified for enzymes from 6 of the 15 chemical reactions necessary to synthesize indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) from D-erythrose 4-phosphate, glutamine and serine. On the other hand, the list of genes overexpressed in plants treated with Bioradicante is strongly enriched in genes with L-phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) function: at least 5 of the 10 genes that code for enzymes with this activity are overexpressed as a consequence of the treatment with Bioradicante. PAL activity is considered the gateway to the metabolism of (poly) phenols such as flavonoids and monolignols (monomers precursors of lignin), which are key to the development of the root. For example, flavonoids inhibition of polar transport of auxins and lignin is key to the formation of xylem (wood). We can finally conclude that Bioradicante works stimulating the biosynthesis of endogenous auxins and regulating the biosynthesis of phenols such as flavonoids and lignin, which are important for the proper development of the root system.

We manufacture and commercialize our biostimulants products worldwide. We have registers in numerous countries of Central and South America, Caribbean, Europe, North Africa and Middle East. We are nowadays working to expand our portfolio of registered products in Africa.

Yes, our biostimulants are generally compatible with most commercially available agricultural nutrition or crop protection products. Anyway, it is recommendable to follow the rules for the correct use and combined mixture preparation, and eventually perform a small test before preparing the actual mix. Also, our biostimulants are in general compatible with the most advanced farming techniques used in integrated crop management.

In general, our biostimulants can be stored for up to 3 years under appropriate conditions of temperature, light, humidity and ventilation. In fact, it is recommended to store biostimulants in a fresh and ventilated place with temperatures below 50ºC, avoiding prolonged periods under direct sunlight.

It may appear that agriculture is dealing with two opposing forces. On the one hand, more production is needed due to world population growth. On the other, we are witnessing a necessary reduction in the amount of available crop productivity tools due to government regulations such as the EU Green Deal. In addition, climate change is also putting a strain on cropping systems. Whether it's too dry or too wet, we're seeing these extremes all over the world. In this complex situation, there is a growing demand for new tools that are sustainable, effective, and affordable to complement synthetic chemistry: it's a big global opportunity for biostimulants. Finally, at more reduced and maybe simple scale, the greatest opportunities lie in being able to develop products that quickly and safely meet the new needs of producers. In our case, at Futureco Bioscience, we are using the most sophisticated and operational scientific advances to develop new, and increasingly custom-made products.

One of the bigger challenges facing the biostimulants industry is to scientifically prove the claimed functionality and justify the biological and functional action of the product on crop species. It will be more and more important, and soon necessary, to fulfill very complete dossiers, and all substances will have to be studied and approved by accredited third-party bodies, thus guaranteeing their composition, functionality, and harmlessness for health and environmental safety. I am certain that this landscape will contribute to greater transparency and trust in the sector. Futureco Bioscience recognizes and addresses these challenges by constantly updating and upgrading its consolidated research and development pipeline, to deliver products backed by consistent and reliable trial data, that can produce valuable and reproducible results. Expertise in protocol development can reduce the number of total trials and seasons required to evaluate performance and gather data for product registration. Proficient analysis can increase the value of the information. Globally, a well-planned approach like the Futureco Bioscience development process also helps avoid the pitfalls that could delay the product development process and market entry as well as increase costs.

I would say that the main trends regarding biostimulants focus on abiotic stress resistance, followed by improved nutrient uptake and then improved product quality. Among abiotic stresses, drought is the most studied, followed by salinity and temperature extremes, must probably in strong connection with the effect of climate change. On the other hand, there is an increasing demand of nitrogen-fixing microorganisms: while nitrogen is the element required, after carbon, in the greatest quantity by plants for their growth and development nitrogen-fixing microorganisms could help reduce the amount of nitrogen fertilizers, now that there is a shortage of raw materials, very high prices and increasing attention to both environmental and economic sustainability. As company, we are recognized for our expertise in in the use of microbials, and the added value of our microorganisms and their derived products can offer to agriculture. For example, with additional metabolites of Lysobacter enzymogenes strain B25 and Corynebacterium flavescens strain B2575, RADISAN WG considerably increases the rate of survival transplants and stimulates further the vegetative growth.

The main trends are driven by the needs of producers: some of these needs are due to the appearance of new situations such as lack of water, changes in weather conditions due to climate change that are causing new types of stresses, regulatory changes that prohibit the use of active ingredients commonly used in most farms, lack of sustainable solutions to maintain productivity without increasing or reducing inputs etc. For all these situations, farmers need products that allow them to continue producing with the yields and qualities that maintain the profitability of their farms.