What is a biostimulant?
The term "biostimulant" refers to a substance or microorganism that can be applied to seeds, plants, or the rhizosphere to stimulate nutritional processes. This stimulation can enhance nutrient uptake, improve nutrient use efficiency, increase tolerance to abiotic stress, and ultimately improve crop quality and yield.
Biostimulants are substances that can help improve plant growth and development. Unlike fertilizers, biostimulants do not provide nutrients directly to the plant. Instead, they work by enhancing the plant's natural processes.
As a legendary grower (to be), we get that you’re always looking to take your plant care to the next level. That's why we’ve developed the first official biostimulant on the market: Power Buds.
How do biostimulants work?
Biostimulants work by stimulating nutritional processes in the plant and soil, which enhances plant growth and health. Here are some ways biostimulants can benefit your grow:
Improving nutrient uptake: biostimulants can enhance the plant's ability to absorb nutrients by improving the soil structure, increasing the availability of nutrients, and stimulating the plant's root system.
Enhancing stress tolerance: biostimulants can help plants tolerate abiotic stress such as drought, extreme temperature and the content of salt by improving their physiological processes.
Quality traits: biostimulants can improve quality traits of your plant such as number of flowers, length of roots, increased biomass and yield and stronger smell and taste.
Availability of confined nutrients in soil or rhizosphere (soil region around plant roots): biostimulants can enlarge the availability of microorganisms, phosphor and nitrogen.
What are the benefits of using a biostimulant for growing?
There are numerous benefits of using biostimulants for growing:
Sustainable: biostimulants can improve soil health and fertility over time, making them a sustainable solution for long-term plant growth.
Improved plant quality: biostimulants can improve the overall quality of plants, including their color, size, and taste.
Increased yield: biostimulants can increase the yield of crops by improving their growth and development, leading to more significant harvests.
Is a biostimulant the same as a Plant Growth Regulator?
Biostimulants are often mistaked for plant growth regulators, but the truth is that these two are entirely different substances with different modes of action. A Plant Growth Regulator (PGR) is a synthetic substance that is designed to regulate plant growth and development by interfering with plant hormones. PGRs can be used to promote or inhibit certain plant growth processes, such as increasing flower production, delaying senescence, or promoting fruit ripening.
While both biostimulants and PGRs can be used to enhance plant growth and development, they work through different mechanisms. Biostimulants work by enhancing natural processes in the plant and soil, while PGRs work by altering plant hormones and disrupting natural processes.
The ingredients of for instance Power Buds are biodegradable and therefore will not settle in your yield.
How do you recognize a biostimulant?
There are three characteristics that define a biostimulant:
EU declaration of conformity → A process of assessing conformity conducted by a Notified Body. During this process, the technical features of a product are examined to ensure that it complies with the essential requirements set forth in the applicable directives and regulations. The declaration or a reference to it should always be included with the product. In our case it will be accessible through a QR code on the particular product.
CE mark → The CE marking signifies that the product meets the health, safety, and environmental protection standards required by the EU legislation for that specific product category. It shows that the manufacturer of the product has ensured that the product meets the applicable requirements and has undergone the necessary conformity assessment procedures. The CE marking allows the product to be freely traded within the EEA without any further technical barriers or restrictions. It also serves as a declaration by the manufacturer or importer that the product conforms to the applicable EU legislation and can be marketed in the EEA.
A reference to the relevant legislation on biostimulants → In our case this is included on the label of the particular product.
With these three “hacks” you check for yourself whether you are holding an officially recognized biostimulant or any other kind of grow stimulating substance. There are lots of products on the market being referred to as biostimulants, while they are not as such.
Hopefully, your knowledge on biostimulants has now been updated a bit. Plagron, at yout service!