agribusinessreview.comDECEMBER 20238 opinionIN MYCRUCIAL QUESTIONS FOR EVALUATING NEW BIOSTIMULANT AND BIOLOGICAL TECHNOLOGIES By Dr. Karl Wyant , Director of Agronomy, Nutrien Dr. Karl Wyant IntroductionBiostimulants have become increasingly popular amongst ag retailers and growers alike over the past few years. A biostimulant includes "diverse substances that enhance plant growth" or helps `amend the soil structure, function, or performance.' Simply put, a biostimulant is a non-living product that helps improve crop growth and/or yield through another mechanism apart from supplying nutrients (e.g., fertilizers) or killing yield robbing pests (crop protection). Another related popular category includes biologicals, which include living organisms such as bacteria and fungi that provide a benefit to the crop. A challenge in the biostimulant/ biologicals space is understanding how the products work, their fit on the ag retail shelf or added value in the farm operation, and outlining reasonable expectations of performance. This article offers candid advice on how to evaluate a new biostimulant or biological product before committing to a large purchase. Challenges in Product SpaceAt the time of this writing, there are many products, active ingredients, and companies in this category (Figure 1). A few companies have been around for years while some are newly arrived a flush with capital and their logo unfamiliar. The underlined labels on the Venn diagram show broad categories based on what is inside the product ­ the active ingredient. Product impacts range from those that promote crop and soil health to those providing a biocontrol benefit (y axis). Furthermore, products range from the nonliving
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