Biostimulants in Biological Farming, Here’s What We Know

As farmers and growers, we are consistently trying to make sure our soil is healthy and our crop yields are high. A promising approach to improving plant productivity that has shown great enhancement in our plants involves the development of naturally occurring organic materials or biostimulants.

Biostimulants influence growth and development of plants by affecting ‘control’ mechanisms within the plant that act synergistically with nutrients to improve uptake and availability.

Metabolism provides the power and framework necessary to sustain plant life, but biostimulants produced within the plant itself that regulate the speed of growth and coordinate various parts to produce the form we recognize as a plant. These materials, also known as plant hormones, phytohormones, or plant growth regulators, have the potential to facilitate a wide range of processes including seed germination, root/shoot growth, vegetative growth, flowering, fruit set, growth and development in a way that will improve the overall production.

How does it Work?

The basis for biostimulant activity lies in its ability to interact with a network of endogenous biochemical mechanisms within the soil itself, allowing growers to combine both science and nature in a regular management and agriculture system that improves the overall efficiency of the soil. Biostimulants are an invaluable tool in a grower’s toolkit and management system and their use in your soil management plan increases the likelihood of success with a corresponding diminution of risk.

Biostimulants are a major staple of soil health and have taken their place alongside soil, light, temperature, water and fertilizer as critical components in a cultured matrix. Pro-Soil’s ground management products implement these important biostimulants, improving the soil health and supporting the native microbial life in your soil which will grow the microbial population. All of this will allow your soil a complete conversion and foster a stronger uptake of both macro and micro nutrients.

Classes of Biostimulants

So what are biostimulants? Biostimulants are organic compounds that can either cause or accelerate biochemical activity within a plant, increasing the efficiency of a plant or any of its parts, as well as increasing the uptake and availability of necessary nutrients for the plant.

When biostimulants are applied to soil or foliage, they accelerate chemical changes in living cells where energy is provided for vital processes and activities.

Biostimulants can be classified as either natural or synthetic. If they are natural, they exist in, or are formed by nature without human intervention. These biostimulants include auxins, gibberellins, cytokinins, inhibitors and enzymatic systems that are produced within living plants mainly within actively growing parts like the roots and steps.

If they are synthetic, they may also include auxins, gibberellins and cytokinins – but they are the man-made versions of these biostimulants, created through a chemical process. A specific biostimulant that inhibits certain plant activities is known as a “plant growth regulator.”

A plant growth regulator is a term coined by the agricultural industry that denotes that synthetic materials that have been recreated and are defined under the Federal insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), as compounds that prevent, destroy, repel or mitigate any kind of pest, or is intended for use as a plant regulator, defoliant or desiccant.

Biostimulants in their raw form have been used agronomically for hundreds of years and are the strongest arsenal in the quest for tougher and more resilient crop yields. The chemicals and fertilizers you apply to your farm ground will always work more effectively when there is a healthy, biological foundation in place. Pro-Soil offers products that will help you create a healthy soil management system that you can start using immediately.

Ask yourself two important questions:

• How do I make Soil Bound nutrients more available?
• What am I doing to help mellow out my soils and improve my plant’s root structure?

Now let us help you understand what Pro-Soil’s biological farming products can do for you.

Our superior soil and plant nutrition products are just a piece of the puzzle. Pro-Soil offers hands-on in-field evaluations, group educational seminars, test-plot field days and educational newsletters, bulletins, whitepapers and field guides to help inform today’s progressive, innovative growers about the exciting potential benefits that our Below Ground Management program offers – including how it can increase “Above-Ground Profits.”

Contact Pro-Soil Ag Solutions today to discuss your options and let us help you start creating a healthy foundation for your crops.