Modern society is crossed by a disease that affects us living beings and that derives from our way of life: stress. This reality is not limited only to people's health, but to the entire universe of living beings, and in the case of plants its impact is more frequent every day, weakening their development or growth capacities, leaving them exposed to other diseases, which ends up affecting the quality and productivity of the crop.

Factors

Extreme temperatures, drought, salinity, poorly performed pruning, inclement weather, the quality of the soils or substrates, and wrong handling, are gravitant to the good health of plants and are the major stressors, therefore that it is necessary to stimulate them with natural supplements that go beyond the mere application of nutrients or conventional fertilizers, and that they are clearly no longer sufficient.

It is necessary to address this problem and remedy it, looking for the most natural methods and products on the market. Those that provide us with the greatest benefits, such as biostimulants.

What is a biostimulant

Dr. Patrick Du Jardin, researcher and permanent speaker at the International Seminars of Blueberries Consulting, and consultant to the European Commission, maintains that: “A biostimulant is any substance or microorganism that, when applied to plants, is capable of improving the effectiveness of these in the absorption and assimilation of nutrients, tolerance to biotic or abiotic stress, or improve any of its agronomic characteristics, regardless of the nutrient content of the substance ”.

The advantages

Biostimulants stimulate the metabolic processes of crops and mitigate the stress caused by abiotic factors, bringing the plant closer to ideal conditions in which it is capable of increasing its production and yield.

By obtaining healthy and vigorous plants, we also obtain better quality crops, so biostimulants help us to obtain better-sized fruits, with a greater amount of sugars and with a more homogeneous ripening.

Also the use of water is more efficient, because biostimulants help the plant to withstand conditions of lack of irrigation. Some help retain moisture in the soil, achieving more efficient watering. On the other hand, by improving the efficiency in the absorption of nutrients, fertilizers are better used, reducing losses due to leaching.

Safety

Another advantage that biostimulants have for producers and for society is to be able to access much healthier food, by obtaining higher quality crops and free of residues. They are perfect allies to achieve the safety results demanded by world demand and are the best "natural medicine" to help crops face the threats that climate change and industrial management cause in modern agriculture.

In addition to what has been described, biostimulants act as metabolic intermediaries, which, applied to the soil, or directly to the plant, invigorate it and improve its yield and fruit quality, producing a better harvest since it increases the efficiency of its metabolism favoring the Organoleptic aspects of color, aroma, flavor, texture, bloom, weight, size, turgor, etc.

Classification

Despite the fact that the global regulation regarding biestimulants is not completely finalized among scientists, researchers and agricultural producers, there is a consensus to define the main categories of these products.

Its classification in humic and fulvic acids, amino acids and peptide mixtures, beneficial bacteria, extracts of algae and plants, chitosans and other biopolymers, inorganic compounds, beneficial fungi, etc. and their characteristics in detail, you can see them in the article "Biostimulants in agriculture", Or at the following link: