The Role of Biostimulants in Yield Enhancement and Climate Resilience

Biostimulants play a crucial role in enhancing crop yields and enhancing climate resilience by promoting plant growth and mitigating environmental stressors.

FREMONT, CA: Biostimulants, made up of organic substances and beneficial microorganisms, provide a promising solution to boost crop productivity and improve resilience against climate change. By utilizing natural mechanisms to stimulate plant growth and improve nutrient uptake, biostimulants bolster yields and contribute to the adaptability of agricultural systems to changing environmental conditions.

Advantages of Biostimulants in Improving Yields

Enhances Nutrient Utilization: Biostimulants improve the absorption of nutrients by encouraging strong root growth, facilitating the soaking of more water and nutrients by plants, or improving the availability of minerals in the soil. Together, these features help to maximize fertilizer use and reduce the amount of nutrients wasted in the environment. Several studies on vegetables grown in greenhouses and open fields indicate that the proper administration of biostimulant chemicals can enhance root and shoot vigor while also promoting nutrient uptake and digestion. Furthermore, an increase in soil microbial and enzymatic activities, alterations to root architecture, and improvements in micronutrient mobility and solubility have all been linked to an increase in plant nutrient absorption.

Soil Health: Humic substances (HS) are naturally occurring chemicals found in soil that are derived from microbial metabolism, dead cell components, and chemical and biological changes. Since HS is known to play a significant role in the physicochemical characteristics of soils, the majority of their biostimulant effects are related to enhancing plant nutrition and stimulating root growth as a result of increased soil nutrient availability. By improving soil characteristics and functions, several biostimulants can improve soil fertility and health. This can also lead to favorable results for the restoration of the soil and efficient use of water, which is vital for the long-term maintenance of soil fertility.

Resistance and Tolerance to Climate Change: Incorporating biostimulants into farming operations can help mitigate the negative consequences of climate change and extreme weather conditions. For farmers, who have to constantly modify their practices to deal with changing and challenging weather patterns, such precautions are essential. Most climate change prediction models anticipate rising temperatures, making the stress protection provided by bacterial biostimulants to rain-fed field crops especially relevant. Due to the ongoing alterations in climate, abiotic stress has emerged as a significant hazard to food security. Biostimulants have been identified as a means of enhancing plant productivity through the alteration of physiological processes.

Crop Quality: Biostimulants can improve crop quality by encouraging the development of strong, healthy plants, which will ultimately lead to a decrease in food waste. At the same time, they can increase yields in terms of both quality and quantity, which will help the farmer's business remain profitable and sustainable. In order to create a sustainable food system, it is essential to address food loss and waste.

By promoting healthier, more resilient crops, biostimulants contribute to increased yields and also mitigate the adverse effects of environmental stressors such as drought, heat, and salinity. Moreover, their environmentally friendly nature aligns with the imperative to pursue sustainable agricultural practices. Hence, the integration of biostimulants into agricultural systems holds immense promise for ensuring food security and environmental sustainability in the years to come.