The research on biostimulants is developing and has been attracting significant attention. It has focused on understanding the functional mechanisms of biostimulants and their impact on various indicators of sustainability. It suggests that biostimulants improve crop yield and product quality, reduce external application of fertilizers, enhance water-use efficiency, and improve crops’ capability to tolerate abiotic stresses. Given the growing negative externalities of intensive agriculture to natural resources, human health, and the environment and the predictions of climate becoming more severe, there is a need to focus more on basic and applied research on biostimulants.
Introduction
The increasing reliance on agrochemicals and groundwater for irrigation has started causing damage to groundwater resources, soil fertility, agro-biodiversity, and the environment. Besides, the excessive and indiscriminate use of agrochemicals has resulted in deterioration in the quality of food and feed, adversely affecting human and animal health. Furthermore, the diminishing returns have set to their additional use, which means a deceleration in productivity growth and an increase in the cost of production. For example, foodgrain yield in developing countries, which had increased at an annual rate of 1.71% during 1981-2000, has decelerated to 1.43% during 2001-2020 despite the increasing use of fertilizers, from 40 to 55 kg/ha (FAOSTAT). Climate change, too, has become a significant threat to the sustainability of agriculture. It is estimated that since 1961, climate change has reduced the productivity growth of global agriculture by 21%, and the effect has been more pronounced in developing countries.
The agri-food production systems, thus, are facing multiple challenges of producing more food and non-food commodities to improve food and nutrition security and preserve natural resources, biodiversity, and the environment amidst the increasing threats of climate change. Alleviating these challenges requires a paradigm shift in production strategies. Evidence suggests that the integration of modern technologies and traditional agro-ecological practices could be a viable option to preserve soil health, save water, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and enhance crops’ resilience to biotic and abiotic stresses. Based on an extensive literature review, it is concluded that combining modern technologies and traditional farming practices is one of the most efficient pathways to improving the sustainability of agriculture.
Biostimulants are claimed to offer several benefits: preserving the health of natural resources, managing the biotic and abiotic stresses, and reducing the cost of production without any adverse impact on crop yields. Biostimulants do not supply nutrients to plants or control pests and diseases directly; instead, these stimulate the natural processes within plants and soil microbiota. Thus, by triggering molecular adjustments and physiological, biochemical, and anatomical modifications within plants, these enhance plants’ capacity to withstand biotic and abiotic stresses.
The definition of biostimulants, however, has been a matter of debate regarding what to consider and what not to consider as biostimulants. Initially, biostimulants were defined by focusing on what they were not, distinguishing them from other agricultural inputs such as fertilizers, pesticides, and soil amendments. Later, the focus has been on the functional aspects, emphasizing their role in enhancing plant growth and crop yield. Still, the debate continues. For example, the Azotobacter spp., Rhizobium spp., and Azospirilium spp. are categorized as plant microbial biostimulants in Europe, while these are classified as biofertilizers in India. The EU and India have formalized definitions of biostimulants, while other countries such as the USA, China, Brazil, and Mexico classify biostimulants under broader categories: soil amendments, plant growth regulators, and organic inputs. Nonetheless, the most widely accepted definition of biostimulants is that “the biostimulants are substances or microorganisms or a combination of both applied to plants, seeds, or rhizosphere to stimulate physiological processes in the plant, independently of the product’s nutrient content, with the sole aim of improving one or more of the following characteristics of the plant or the plant rhizosphere: (i) nutrient use efficiency, or (ii) tolerance to abiotic stress, or (iii) yield and quality traits, or (iv) availability of confined nutrients in the soil or rhizosphere”. Biostimulants are derived from natural sources such as plant extracts, seaweed, microbial cultures, organic wastes, and by-products and serve as environment-friendly alternatives to synthetic inputs.
Trends in research on biostimulants
Between January 2010 and February 2024, 2571 research articles contained the keyword “biostimulant” in titles or abstracts, or authors were published in 448 journals and books indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection database. There has been substantial growth in publications on biostimulants (Fig. 1). The growth has been quite significant from 2017 onwards. This is an indication of the growing interest in research on biostimulants, perhaps triggered by the need to look for alternatives to agrochemicals, which are harmful to natural resources, biodiversity, environment, and human health.
Furthermore, the increased number of literature on biostimulants coincided with sustainable development goals. For instance, biostimulants enhance crop productivity and resilience, boosting agricultural yields and ensuring food security. Additionally, biostimulants foster sustainable farming by reducing reliance on agrochemicals, leading to resource efficiency and environmental protection. Their use increases nutrient uptake efficiency, reducing energy needs for fertilizer production. Bio-stimulants also aid in carbon sequestration, contributing to climate change mitigation and promoting soil health and biodiversity. Moreover, bio-stimulants could decrease water pollution and preserve water quality by minimizing chemical runoff.
Thematic focus of biostimulant research
A co-occurrence keyword analysis was performed to determine the research focus of biostimulants. Figure 2 shows the distribution of keywords by type of biostimulants. Seaweed extract has attracted significant attention, followed by humic substances, plant microbial biostimulants or plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), amino acids, protein hydrolysate, plant extract, and chitosan. Biostimulants from brown and red seaweeds have been reported to enhance the efficacy of beneficial microbes, absorption of nutrients, and tolerance to abiotic stresses in plants. Humic and fulvic acids play a crucial role in enriching soil organic carbon and mitigating environmental stresses by modulating the physio-biochemical characteristics of both soil and plants. Protein hydrolysates and amino acids enhance defense responses in plants under stressed conditions and help improve crop yields. Microbial biostimulants, particularly plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), play an important role in the mobilization and solubilization of micro- and macro-nutrients within soil rhizosphere.
The keywords were categorized into different groups to get further insight into the research focus (Table 1). Regarding commodities, the biostimulant research has focused on several crops, including cereals, pulses, oilseeds, and horticultural crops. By theme, the primary focus has been on understanding the role of biostimulants in augmenting ecosystem services and their impact on crop yields, quality traits, nutrient absorption, water-use efficiency, soil health, and climate regulation. Drought stress mitigation emerged as the most significant aspect of abiotic stress management using biostimulants. The management of salinity, water stress, and oxidative stresses followed this. The important mechanisms studied include antioxidants, photosynthesis, gene expression, and phytohormone regulation.
| Crops | Ecosystem services | Abiotic stress | Action mechanism |
| Tomato (251) | Plant growth (566) | Drought (117) | Antioxidant activity (115) |
| Wheat (114) | Yield (371) | Salinity (70) | Photosynthesis (54) |
| Maize (113) Rice (48) | Quality traits (244) | Water (32) | Gene expression (41) |
| Fruit (81) Soybean (53) | Nutrient and water use efficiency (162) | Oxidative (19) | Phytohormones regulation (24) |
| Potato (52) | Soil health (15) | Temperature (10) | |
| Strawberry (36) | C-sequestration (12) | ||
| Pulses (20) |
Further, we looked into whether there has been a shift in the focus of biostimulant research. Between 2015 and 2020, research centered around plant growth-promoting regulators (PGPR), bioremediation techniques, biostimulation practices, and biostimulant applications. However, post-2020, the focus shifted towards antioxidant activities, microalgae, abiotic stress, and efficacy.
The literature has focused on several research areas, including the role of biostimulants in enhancing resistance and tolerance to abiotic stress for achieving sustainability and improving the nutritional quality of food. Further, research is underway to explore using various plant-derived biostimulants, such as algae, seaweed, and microalgae, and their effects on crop growth and yield. The research has also started focussing on understanding how biostimulants enhance the resilience and tolerance of plants to abiotic and biotic stress.
Impact of biostimulants
Crop yield and quality traits
Yield gain, driven by the spill-over effect conferring resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses, is the main advantage of applying biostimulants. It is fromed a meta-analysis, reported 15-17% higher yields of different crops due to the application of different biostimulants (Table 2). Foliar applications of seaweed extract (Kappaphycus alvarezii) and Gracilaria edulis have, respectively, been reported to result in 18.54% and 26.04% higher yield of maize. Someone also reported that the application of biostimulants, amino acid, and yeast extract under water-stressed conditions improved the yield of off-season corn by 8.5% and 20.0%, respectively. In the arid and semi-arid regions, the application of seaweed extract, humic and fulvic acid, chitosan, and PGPR could enhance field crop yield by 8.5% and 11.4% under moderate and severe water-stress conditions, respectively. Else reported that applying seaweed extracts (15% concentration) increased net returns from maize from 7.7 to 16.5%.
| Biostimulants and their sources | Application type | Crop | Benefits | Country |
| Crop yield | ||||
| Seaweed extract (Kappaphycus alvarezii) | Foliar @ 15% & 12.5% concentration | Soybean (rainfed) | Yield↑ by 57% & 46% | India |
| Foliar @ 10% concentration | Maize | Yield↑ by 26% | India | |
| Foliar @ 2.5–15% concentration | Rice | Yield↑ by 7–29% | India | |
| Seaweed extract (Gracilaria edulis) | Foliar @ 10% concentration | Maize | Yield↑ by 19% | India |
| Foliar @ 2.5–15% concentration | Rice | Yield↑ by 6–28% | India | |
| Seaweed extract (Primo) | Foliar @ 250 ml per 500 l/ha | Potato | Yield↑ by 25% | Pakistan |
| Seaweed extract (Kelpak SL) | Double foliar @ 1% concentration | Beans Soybean | Yield↑ by 25% Yield↑ by 36% | Poland |
| Seaweed extract | Foliar @ 4.0 g/L | Strawberry | Yield↑ by 0.45% | Italy |
| Foliar @ 2 ml/L | French bean | Yield↑ by 16–20% | India | |
| Humic acid | Foliar @ 2 ml/L | French bean | Yield↑ by 11–25% | India |
| Fertigation @ 0.5L/ha | Tomato | Yield↑ by 4–13% | India | |
| Foliar @ 6 g/L | Oat | Yield↑ by 138% | Iraq | |
| Foliar @ 1.0 g/L | Strawberry | Yield↑ by 6.41% | Italy | |
| Humic acid (plant and coal-derived) | Soil application @ 50 mg/kg | Wheat | Yield ↑ by 21% and 18%, respectively | Pakistan |
| Protein hydrolysate | Foliar @ 3.0 g/L | Strawberry | Yield↑ by 13.43% | Italy |
| Microalga hydrolysate | Foliar @ 4.0 g/L | Strawberry | Yield↑ by 9.31% | Italy |
| Amino acids and yeast extract | – | Corn (off-season) | Yield↑ by 3.46 q/ha | Brazil |
| Amino acids | Foliar @ 0.25% & 50% | Peach | Yield↑ by 2% and 4% | India |
| Foliar @ 3.0 g/L | Strawberry | Yield↓ by 12.36% | Italy | |
| Chitosan | Foliar @ 10 ml/L | Strawberry | Yield↑ by 17.86% | Italy |
| Silicone | Foliar @ 0.3 ml/L | Strawberry | Yield↑ by 15.11% | Italy |
| Tytanit | Foliar @ 0.4 dm3/ha | Wheat | Yield↑ by 6% | Slovakia |
| Foliar @ 0.6 dm3/ha | Red clover | Yield↑ by 31% | Poland | |
| Double foliar @ 0.13% concentration | Soybean | Yield↑ by 33% | ||
| Common Bean | Yield↑ by 33% | |||
| PGPR | Seed inoculation | Sunflower | Yield↑ by 72% under saline condition | India |
| Plant extract | Foliar @ 30 kg roots per 300L/ha | Soybean | Yield↑ by 40% | Poland |
| Product quality | ||||
| Seaweed extract | Foliar @ 5% | Maize | K, Mn, Zn & protein content ↑ by 2%, 17%, 0.7% & 46% | India |
| Foliar @ 15% concentration | Soybean | N, P, K, and S content in soybean grain ↑ by 36%, 61%, 49% and 93% | India | |
| Foliar @ 250 ml per 500 L/ha | Potato | TSS in potato ↑ by 28% | Pakistan | |
| foliar @ 4.0 g/L | Strawberry | TSS & TA ↑ by 9.33% & 6.91% | Italy | |
| Seaweed extract (Kelpak SL) | Double foliar @1% concentration | Common beans Soybean | Increased antioxidant activities, protein, polyphenols, flavonoids, and anthocyanin content of seed | Poland |
| Tytanit | Double foliar @ 0.13% concentration | Soybean Common beans | ||
| Humic acid | Foliar @ 6 g/L | Oat | N, P & K and protein content ↑ by 36%, 80%, 84% and 36% | Iraq |
| Foliar @ 1.0 g/L | Strawberry | TSS & TA ↑ by 9.33% & 2.30% | Italy | |
| Fertigation @ 0.5L/ha | Tomato | TSS ↑ by 0.5% & 2% | India | |
| Amino acids | Foliar @ 3.0 g/L | Strawberry | TSS & TA ↑ by 23.05% & 11.85% | Italy |
| Plant extract | Foliar @ 30 kg roots per 300L/ha | Soybean | Increased protein and amino acid content of seed | Poland |
| Plant extract-Lemna minor L | Seed priming | Maize | Improve P, K, Ca and Na contents | Italy |
Studies have also reported improvement in crops’ nutritional quality due to the use of biostimulants. For example, someone found that foliar application of seaweed extract (Kappaphycus alvarezii) could increase the concentration of N, P, K, and S in soybean grains to the extent of 36%, 61%, 49%, and 93%, respectively. Likewise, the impact of the application of other biostimulants in different crops has been found to enhance their nutrient contents.
Biostimulants increase crop growth and yield by modifying the physiological and biochemical responses of plants, such as increasing root and shoot developments, improving organic carbon content and stimulating cation exchange, N metabolism, microbial activities, antioxidant activities, and water-holding capacity. Further, biostimulants like seaweed extract contain plant hormones such as auxin, cytokinin, kinetin, zeatin, gibberellins, glycine betaine, and choline chloride, which enhance crop growth and tolerance during environmental stress conditions by accelerating the mobilization of photosynthates from leaves to stem and increasing photosynthetic pigments.
Furthermore, biostimulants can modify primary and secondary metabolism of plants, leading to the synthesis and accumulation of micronutrients and antioxidant molecules. Biostimulants, particularly seaweed extract, have unique marine mineral nutrients, bioactive compounds, and molecular organic nutrients. Similarly, seaweed contains higher concentrations of trace elements, ultra-trace elements, and polysaccharides compared to terrestrial plants. Thus, biostimulants are vital in enhancing nutritional security while reducing agrochemical uses and minimizing adverse environmental externalities.
Nutrient use efficiency (NUE)
Several studies have shown that biostimulants reduce synthetic inputs and environmental footprints while benefitting the crops. The application of biostimulants has been reported to cause an improvement in nutrient use efficiency (Table 3) and, hence, a reduction in fertilizer use and its associated costs. For example, the application of amino acids enhanced NUE by 28% in wheat, protein hydrolysates by 12.9% in spinach, and seaweed extract by 16% in rapeseed and wheat. It is reported foliar application of seaweed extract (Kappaphycus alvarezii), increasing N, P, and K uptake in maize by 31%, 38%, and 28%, respectively. Likewise, Gracilaria edulis (seaweed extract) increased their uptake by 23%, 41%, and 26%, respectively.
| Biostimulants and their sources | Application type | Crop | Benefits | Country |
| Seaweed + Amino acid | Foliar @ 1L/ha | Wheat | N content in plant ↑ by 28.9% | France |
| Seaweed extract (Kelpak) | Foliar @ 2 dm3/ ha | Rapeseed | N accumulation in plant ↑ by 16% | Poland |
| Seaweed extract (Kappaphycus alvarezii) | Foliar @ 10% concentration | Maize | N, P, and K uptake ↑ by 31%, 38%, and 28% | India |
| Seaweed extract (Kappaphycus alvarezii) | Foliar @ 5% concentration | Sugarcane | C-sequestration ↑ by 2.4%; Water saving by 21 m3/ ton sugarcane production | India |
| Maize | C-sequestration ↑ by 13% | India | ||
| Seaweed extract (Gracilaria edulis) | Foliar @ 10% | Maize | N, P, and K uptake ↑ by 3%, 41%, and 26% | India |
| Foliar @ 5% concentration | Maize | C-sequestration ↑ by 5% | India | |
| Plant extract-Moringa | Seed priming | Petunia | Reduced adverse effects of water deficit | Italy |
| Protein hydrolysates | Foliar @ 4 ml/ L | Spinach | P Mg, and Ca content in plant ↑ by 12.9%, 10.3%, and 12.8% | Italy |
| Humic acid | Soil @ 100 g/ m2 | Thymus Vulgaris | N, P, and K uptake ↑ by 218%, 435%, 228% | Iran |
| Humic acid | Foliar @ 40 mg/ L | Mangosteen | N, P, and K uptake ↑ by 37%, 10%, 9% | Brazil |
| Humic acid (plant derived) | Soil application @ 50 mg/kg | Wheat | P, K and fe uptake ↑ by 38%, 6%, 17% | Pakistan |
| Humic acid (coal-derived) | Soil application @ 50 mg/kg | Wheat | P, K and fe uptake ↑ by 42%, 80%, 4% | Pakistan |
| Humic acid | Soil @ 10 mg/kg | Rice | Water holding capacity ↑ by 10% | India |
| C-sequestration ↑ by 10% | ||||
| PGPR (Rhizobium Spp.) | Seed treatment | Chickpea | N and P uptake ↑ by 10% and 9% | India |
| PGPR (Rhizobium Spp. + PSB) | Soil inoculation | Greengram | N, P and K uptake ↑ by 17%, 21% and 23% WUE ↑ by 10%, | India |
| PGPR (Rhizobium + Bacillus + Pseudomonas) | Seed @ 200 g/10 kg seed | French bean | N, P and K uptake ↑ by 6%, 8% and 8% | India |
Likewise, humic acid has been found to lead to increased nutrient uptake in Thymus Vulgaris and wheat by reducing soil PH. It was also found to improve nutrient use efficiency, improve soil aeration and water availability, reduce soil erosion, and improve nutrient solubility.
Studies have also reported that applying PGPR increases NUE by improving nutrient uptake, nitrogen fixation, and nutrient mobilization under abiotic stress conditions and, ultimately, higher crop yields. For example, green gram seed inoculation with PGPR increased the N, P, and K uptake by 17%, 21%, and 23%, respectively (Table 3).
It is also well established that root growth and development are critical factors in plant nutrient uptake, and many studies have reported that biostimulant application boosts root growth and development, allowing better soil exploration and nutrient uptake. Earlier studies reported that applying biostimulants altered soil microbial community and augmented enzymatic activities, which are essential in intensifying humification processes and carbon sequestration. Furthermore, biostimulants improve soil nutrient availability, uptake, and translocation by boosting H+−ATPase activity, increasing H+ extrusion from roots, and lowering root surface pH.
6 Other ecosystem services
Biostimulants enhance soil microbial activity, improving soil structure, carbon sequestration, and resilience to environmental stresses. It is reported that the application of Kappaphycus alvarezii (seaweed extract) in sugarcane reduces greenhouse gas emissions by at least 260 kg (CO2 eq.) and water requirement by 21 m3 of /ton of cane production, besides enhancing carbon sequestration by 2.4% (Table 3). It is found that applying humic substance (10 mg/ kg) in rice significantly improves carbon sequestration and water-holding capacity by 13% and 10%, respectively.
Further, biostimulants, by reducing the use of agrochemicals, reduce soil and water contamination and environmental pollution. For example, someone reported that applying seaweed extract could reduce marine and terrestrial ecotoxicity (1,4-dichlorobenzene equivalents) by 3% and 8%, respectively.
Response to abiotic stress
Biostimulants induce resistance or tolerance in plants to abiotic stresses. Studies have reported biostimulants acting as a cushion against droughts in wheat, maize, tomato, spinach, and horticultural crops. Seaweed extracts enhance water use efficiency and improve crop yields under drought conditions.
Further, humic acid has been reported to impart tolerance to heat stress in tomatoes and bell paper. Seaweed extract has been found to overcome the effect of nutrient deficiency under low-temperature conditions. Likewise, other studies have shown that biostimulants effectively overcome adverse low rainfall and extreme temperatures. Salinity stress is another major challenge in agriculture, particularly in arid, semi-arid, and coastal regions. Foliar application of biostimulants (humic acid, glycine-betaine, and chitosan) reduces adverse effects of salinity in several crops, including wheat, maize, and barley.
Biostimulants significantly increase photosynthesis, maintain relative water content, reduce electrolyte leakage and lipid peroxidation, increase proline content, reduce reactive oxygen species (ROS), and improve the activity of antioxidant enzymes, which helps plants cope with the harmful effects of abiotic stress. Furthermore, Biostimulants produce heat shock proteins, phenolics, amino and organic acids, dehydrins, and ACC-deaminase, which are vital in imparting abiotic stress. It is found that a humic acid-based biostimulant reduced abscisic acid and glutathione levels while increasing salicylic acid and ascorbate peroxidase and superoxide dismutase, enhanced uptake of iron (Fe+), phosphorus (P), and potassium, and upregulation of the heat stress-responsive transcription factor (SlHsfA1a) and high-affinity potassium transporter during heat stress, these changes helped in mitigating heat stress damage. It is also found that the use of humic acid and seaweed extract upregulates drought-responsive genes, increasing photosynthesis, relative water content, and stomatal conductance under drought stress. And else found that microbial biostimulants-Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus pumilus Modulated the ascorbate, aldarate, glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism pathways, and pentose and glucuronate interconversions pathway of the cotton crop to increase tolerance to salinity stress.
Spatial distribution of biostimulant research
Figure 3 shows ten most active countries in biostimulant research. Italy leads the way, accounting for 15% of the total publications, followed by Poland (8%), Spain (7%), Brazil (7%), China (6%), and India (5%).
Co-authorship network analysis was undertaken to determine collaborative research efforts among countries, setting a minimum threshold of 10 documents per country (Fig. 4). There emerge five distinct clusters. Italy has the highest link strength (212) and is closely interconnected with Spain, Brazil, Canada, and Mexico, as depicted (red cluster). Poland dominates the second cluster with collaboration with Germany and Ireland. The USA exhibits the highest link strength in the third cluster and appears to have notable connections between China and India and Egypt and South Korea. In the fourth cluster, collaborations appear among Bangladesh, Vietnam, Japan, and Thailand, and in the fifth, among the Czech Republic, Portugal, and Greece.
These findings indicate that European countries are taking a lead in advancing knowledge on biostimulants. Brazil, China, India, Egypt, and Pakistan also have been increasingly focusing on biostimulant research.
The increased scientific evidence in the European Union (EU) led to the formulation of the first regulatory framework under the EU Fertiliser Regulation 2019/1009 to harmonize production and regulate the biostimulants market. The regulation defined biostimulants and provided standards and specifications for product safety, such as limits on heavy metal contaminants and pathogens. Furthermore, product labeling guidelines were provided to ensure quality and safety for people, animals, and the environment. Similarly, The Government of India notified the biostimulant regulations through the official gazetted, the Fertiliser (Inorganic, Organic or Mixed) (Control) Amendment Order, 2021 and 2024 to regulate the biostimulants. In India, the manufacturers or importers of biostimulants are required to provide a set of information to the Central Biostimulant Committee (CBC) on chemistry (source, chemical and physical properties of active ingredients, analytical methods, shelf-life), bio-efficacy trials as well as toxicity and heavy metal analysis reports for specifying product as a biostimulant. Besides, submitting an affidavit stating that the product is non-toxic and safe for use is mandatory. Furthermore, the Government of India has provided the specifications for biostimulants, namely humic and fulvic acid, seaweed extract, botanical extract, and mixed biostimulants.
In USA, biostimulants are not recognized as a distinct product category. The Plant Biostimulants Act was proposed to create a federal definition and a clear regulatory framework for biostimulants, but it has not been approved yet. However, the USA regulates biostimulants based on their claims; if products claim plant protection, regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and if products claim to promote plant growth, regulated by state departments of agriculture. Similarly, Brazil classified biostimulants under Lei 6.894/1980 as either inoculants, which contain microorganisms that promote plant development, or stimulants/biofertilizers, which include active ingredients that enhance plant growth directly or indirectly. Thus, the definition, registration process, and safety standards vary by country, which makes it challenging for biostimulant industries to navigate the international regulatory landscape.
Regulations related to bioefficacy, tolerance limit, toxicity, safety, and product specification underscore the role of scientific research in shaping effective usage and regulation of biostimulants. Therefore, collaborative efforts among countries, researchers, policymakers, industry stakeholders, and farmers are required for effective and safe development, minimizing regulatory compliance hurdles, enhancing efficacy, and widespread adoption of biostimulants.
Conclusions and implications
The research on biostimulants is still in its infancy. However, the emerging trends suggest that biostimulants have considerable potential to (i) improve soil and water health, qualitatively and quantitatively (ii) improve nutrient use efficiency, hence the lower use of fertilizers, (iii) improve crops’ tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses, and (iv) enhance ecosystem services while preserving crop yields and product quality. Notably, the global market for organic and safe foods has been expanding fast.
A few important implications of this bibliometric analysis are as follows.
First, more basic research is required to understand the biostimulants’ functioning mechanisms.
Second, at the level of applied research, there is a need to generate evidence on the impacts of biostimulants on various facets of agriculture to demonstrate their potential to conserve natural resources and enhance agriculture’s resilience to biotic and abiotic stresses. Note that the market for biostimulants is in its infancy and is highly unorganized. Such research will help create a market for biostimulants.
Dora Agri is a leading company focused on researching and promoting natural, organic biostimulants and bio fertilizers for sustainable agriculture and horticulture.
Dora Biostimulant products are designed based on natural active ingredients to support plants when they need specific physiological responses. Biological stimulants are developed through a lot of research and innovation, aiming to bring maximum vitality, yield, and quality to crops.