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Plant Biostimulants: Boosting Nutrient Efficiency for Sustainability

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With the continuous growth of the global population and the change of dietary structure, modern agriculture highly depends on chemical fertilizers to meet the demand for food production. However, this has imposed a significant burden on the environment. Excessive application of chemical fertilizers has led to nutrient loss, biodiversity loss, and the exacerbation of global warming. Therefore, improving plant nutrient use efficiency (NUE) has become the key to solving these problems. Plant biostimulants, as a class of compounds that can regulate plant physiological processes and promote nutrient absorption and utilization, show great potential in reducing chemical fertilizer input while maintaining crop yields. This article aims to explore the role of biostimulants in improving the utilization efficiency of major and micronutrients in crops. By systematically summarizing the current research results, it is pointed out that although most studies show a positive impact of biostimulants on NUE, more systematic research methods are still needed, including accurately calculating NUE and conducting experiments under different nutrient conditions. Studying biostimulants is of great significance for achieving sustainable agricultural development, reducing environmental impacts, and promoting social and economic development.

Contents hide
1 The Environmental Burden of Modern Agriculture and the Significance of NUE
2 Definition and Calculation of NUE
3 Classification of Plant Nutrients​
4 Strategies to Improve NUE
5 What are Biostimulants?
6 How Biostimulants Improve NUE
7 The Broader Impacts of Biostimulants

The Environmental Burden of Modern Agriculture and the Significance of NUE

Modern agriculture’s heavy reliance on chemical fertilizers to feed a growing population has led to serious environmental problems. Nutrient runoff, loss of biodiversity, and increased greenhouse gas emissions are some of the consequences. Improving NUE is crucial for alleviating these issues.

Definition and Calculation of NUE

Nutrient use efficiency (NUE) refers to the comprehensive ability of crops to absorb nutrients from the rhizosphere and convert them into biomass and yield. There are multiple indicators for calculating NUE for different crop types and research objectives .

Classification of Plant Nutrients​

The essential nutrients for plants are mainly divided into major nutrients (such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium), secondary nutrients (such as calcium, magnesium, and sulfur), and micronutrients.

Strategies to Improve NUE

To improve NUE, a series of strategies need to be adopted, including following the correct fertilization principles. The 4Rs principle means choosing the right fertilizer, applying the right amount, at the right time and in the right place.
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Soil Condition Improvement​
Improving soil conditions, such as adjusting the pH value and increasing organic matter, can improve nutrient availability.
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Fertilizer Technologies​
Using controlled – release fertilizers and improving fertilization methods can reduce nutrient losses.
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The Emerging Role of Biostimulants​
Applying the emerging strategy of biostimulants can improve nutrient absorption and utilization efficiency by regulating plant physiological processes.

What are Biostimulants?

Biostimulants were initially defined as growth – promoting substances that are neither fertilizers nor pesticides.

The European Biostimulant Industry Council (EBIC) in 2012 clearly defined biostimulants as: “Substances/microorganisms that, when applied to plants or the rhizosphere, can stimulate the natural processes of plant growth, facilitate plant nutrient absorption, transformation, and utilization, improve tolerance to abiotic stress, and enhance crop quality.”

Based on the diversity of biostimulant sources, the EU Fertilizer Products Regulation adopts a claim – based regulatory model, requiring biostimulant products to support at least one of the following claims: improving nutrient efficiency, enhancing stress resistance, improving crop quality, or activating nutrients restricted in the rhizosphere.

 

How Biostimulants Improve NUE

Multi – Dimensional Action Mechanisms​
Biostimulants significantly improve nutrient use efficiency through multi – dimensional action mechanisms (such as enhancing photosynthesis, optimizing nutrient distribution in edible parts, improving root structure and exudates, enhancing nutrient absorption and assimilation, improving soil health, and changing the rhizosphere soil microbial community)
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Improve Nitrogen Use Efficiency​
Microbial biostimulants (such as PGPR and AMF) promote nitrogen assimilation and transport by enhancing root nitrogen absorption capacity, regulating the rhizosphere microbial community, and upregulating nitrogen transporter genes (such as NRT1.7 and NRT2.7), especially under nitrogen – reduced conditions. Seaweed extracts (such as Ascophyllum nodosum extract PSI – 362) promote nitrogen metabolism and utilization by increasing photosynthetic activity (SPAD index), enhancing nitrate reductase activity, and glutamine synthetase activity.
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Improve Phosphorus Use Efficiency​
In view of the limited phosphorus resources, biostimulants improve phosphorus use efficiency by improving root structure and regulating phosphorus metabolism genes. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) significantly improve phosphorus absorption efficiency by expanding the root absorption area and upregulating phosphorus transporter genes (such as the PHT1 family) in the roots, especially under low phosphorus or water stress conditions. Seaweed extracts (such as Ascophyllum nodosum extract) relieve the negative impact of phosphorus stress on plants by activating carbohydrate metabolism genes (such as AGPase), reducing oxidative damage, and regulating phosphorus homeostasis genes (PHRI).
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Improve Potassium Use Efficiency​
Biostimulants optimize potassium use efficiency by enhancing potassium absorption and transport efficiency. Microbial biostimulants (such as PGPR and AMF) promote the release and absorption of potassium by improving the rhizosphere environment and soil enzyme activity. In maize experiments, the potassium content in grains has been significantly increased. Foliar spraying of seaweed extracts increases the accumulation of potassium in plants by regulating root morphology (increasing root length and volume) and photosynthetic pigment content (chlorophyll b and carotenoids). Under potassium – deficient conditions, amino acid – containing biostimulants enhance the mobility of potassium by promoting the short – term absorption of rubidium (a potassium tracer). Experiments show that seaweed extracts increase the potassium accumulation in rapeseed with the growth period, and the synergistic effect with sulfur fertilizer significantly improves the absorption efficiency of magnesium and potassium.
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Regulate the Use Efficiency of Secondary and Micronutrients​
Biostimulants have a significant regulatory effect on the use efficiency of secondary elements such as calcium and magnesium and micronutrients (copper and manganese). Seaweed extracts and amino acid solutions increase the accumulation of calcium and magnesium in the above – ground parts of plants by enhancing root development and metabolic activity. Under drought stress, Ascophyllum nodosum extract reduces sodium accumulation and increases the absorption efficiency of copper and manganese by regulating the expression of osmotic balance genes. Biostimulants have broad potential in the coordinated utilization of multiple elements, but their effects are affected by environmental stress and crop varieties.

The Broader Impacts of Biostimulants

Environmental Benefits​
Plant biostimulants significantly reduce the use of chemical fertilizers by improving nutrient use efficiency (NUE), reducing the risk of greenhouse gas emissions (such as nitrous oxide) and water eutrophication, while improving soil health, promoting microbial diversity and root development, and enhancing long – term soil productivity.
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Social Significance​
From a social perspective, the application of biostimulants helps to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as mitigating climate change (SDG 13), protecting life below water (SDG 14) and life on land (SDG 15), and also contributes to zero hunger (SDG 2) and responsible consumption and production (SDG 12).
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Economic Advantages​
Economically, the improvement of NUE can reduce farmers’ costs, relieve the pressure on non – renewable resources such as phosphate rock, and enhance the resilience of agriculture. By improving crop stress resistance (drought, salinity) and soil health, it helps agriculture adapt to climate change and promotes the transformation of low – carbon, resource – recycling sustainable agriculture.
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Future Perspectives​
Plant biostimulants show great potential in improving nutrient use efficiency. However, more long – term field experiments are needed to verify their stability, and a standardized evaluation system needs to be established. In the future, it is necessary to integrate precision agriculture technology, improve policy incentives, strengthen farmer training to promote technology application, and explore their performance in extreme climates and non – traditional crops to meet the dual challenges of global food security and sustainable development.

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