Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are essential inputs for agricultural productivity, but, with prices remaining high, making better use of nutrients to reduce farm costs has become a priority. Biostimulants provide a sustainable way to make common input go further by increasing nutrient use efficiency (NUE) in a wide variety of crops.


“Biostimulants are not a fertiliser replacement. The role of biostimulants is to help the plant make better use of the nutrients provided by fertilisers, which has the knock-on benefit of reducing the amount of fertiliser being used,” he says.

He points to biostimulants helping to improve root development, nutrient uptake and provide plants with a greater tolerance to abiotic stresses such as drought, heat and salinity.

“If a plant can grow deeper seeking roots, it is better placed to withstand drought conditions. Furthermore, if plants are able to assimilate more nutrients and convert those nutrients into proteins, enzymes, chlorophyll, and other essential compounds, it will be stronger and will need fewer inputs, which will save growers time and money while also producing a healthier crop,” he says.

NUE has become something of a buzz term, with many seeking innovative ways to minimise fertiliser inputs as part of a move to more regenerative growing practices. However, Mr Stoker suggests that NUE does not necessarily have to cause dramatic changes to growing systems, and that biostimulants are an easy way to get more from what is already available.

“Most biostimulants can be added to the tank along with common fungicides and herbicides, making them easy to apply. Some biostimulants, especially those containing plant available silicon, can be absorbed quickly and immediately make a difference to how efficient the plant is at making use of fertilisers,” he says.

Through trials with KWS on winter wheat, he was able to establish that the use of Sirius, a silicon biostimulant, helped increase the uptake of calcium, copper and iron.

“We applied two foliar sprays and compared to a control. The result was enhanced quality and resilience in all five wheat varieties. We have seen similar results with oilseed rape and ahiflower and noticed that, in particular, potassium uptake was in some cases doubled following the application of Sirius,” he adds.

Through plant analysis he has been able to ascertain that cell wall development and cell division is improved when biostimulants are applied. This helps strengthen the plant and make it more resilient.

“A stronger plant will help drive NUE because the plant is better equipped to utilise the nutrients from fertilisers. As this process unfolds over weeks and months, growers will see the plants thriving and be encouraged to not rely on so much fertiliser to see the desired yield. In essence, using biostimulants is helping the plant do more of the work, rather than forcing the situation,” he says.

He also points to the longer-term benefits to sustainability that biostimulants provide if used consistently over more than one season.

“There is a snowball effect of using biostimulants year on year. The improved NUE in year one reduces nutrient losses to water and air, contributing to environmental protection while maintaining crop productivity. This enables the grower to be less reliant on bought-in fertilisers that have fluctuated in price due to market volatilities. Biostimulants also improve beneficial soil bacteria, fungi and protozoa which make soil more fertile for the following crop,” he concludes.