Biostimulants are emerging as valuable tools for enhancing plant growth, offering several benefits for growers. Dr. Holly Little, Director of Research and Development at Acadian Plant Health, explains that biostimulants can help plants resist abiotic stress—such as drought, heat, and salinity—by boosting their natural defense mechanisms. This resistance is crucial for maintaining crop productivity under challenging growing conditions, which are becoming increasingly unpredictable.
“What we see with the use of our seaweed extract-based biostimulants is that they can help the plant be better prepared for those stresses when they come on, so they can do things like acclimate to that stress a little bit faster,” Little explained. “They can respond quicker.”
One significant benefit of biostimulants is their ability to facilitate osmotic adjustment, allowing plants to better manage water uptake and retention. Compounds in seaweed extracts act as compatible osmolytes, prompting plants to produce their own compounds that enhance water movement without negative side effects. “By being able to maintain that or at least lessen the reduction of that through the stress period really helps those plants to be more productive and continue to grow and produce a quality crop,” said Little.
Listen to the full episode below.
‘Making Sense of Biologicals’ is a series from AgNet West that dives into various topics with experts in the field of biologics to help the industry better understand the product category.
This episode of Making Sense of Biologicals is made possible by Acadian Plant Health, a world leader in biostimulant solutions, sustainably sourced, and scientifically proven to increase crop tolerance to stress, yield, and quality. As the largest independent marine plant harvesting, cultivation, and extraction company in the world, Acadian Plant Health is an international leader in sustainable, science-based biological solutions for high-value as well as broad-acre crops. For more information about their biostimulant technology, visit AcadianPlantHealth-na.com.