Charting the Course for Plant Biostimulants

U.S. growers have benefitted from better machinery, improved varieties, and hi-tech advancements. Biostimulants are an emerging frontier in growing healthy, abundant crops.While plant biostimulants have yielded many positives, additional effort is needed to add clarity and consistency to their definition and regulation.“We really feel confident in a lot of these products moving forward, that growers are going to have an array of new options to deal with things like drought, or challenges that they have continuing to increase their yields, and doing it cost effectively” remarked Nick Young, Environmental Program Manager at the California Department of Food and Agriculture. “It’s an exciting time. There hasn’t been a time like this in 50 years at least, where there is so much innovation happening that can benefit this industry.”Young is among those working at the state and federal levels, including with the Association of American Plant Food Control Officials (AAPFCO), for uniform fertilizer regulation, protecting growers and consumers, and fostering environmental stewardship.  One goal is standardized, easy to understand fertilizer labels.At the federal level, Congress is working on a bill that would bring a more consistent regulatory approach and clear definition for plant biostimulants, which would help farmers, consumers, and regulators.  The bill is currently part of the Farm Bill package, which is sweeping legislation to help American agriculture and consumers.As work continues to bring a more consistent definition and approach to plant biostimulants, those who utilize this technology see tangible benefits in healthy, sustainable food production.“It’s much more of a systems approach to management to achieve consistent, sustainable and profitable gains in crop production,” said Mike Twining, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Willard Agri-Service, a longtime ag retailer working with Redox Bio-Nutrients. “That’s really where Redox shines, is having a systematic approach to help growers.”“I believe we will look back 10 years from now and we will say the biological movement, however you want to define that, with companies like Redox and I hope Willard Agri-Service, it’s going to be like hybrid seed corn, in terms of how it transforms what we’re thinking and doing about crop production, the way we’re growing crops, and our ability to utilize plant nutrition to produce profitable yields,” Twining said.