Beyond Myths: Building Sustainable Farming in India

Biostimulants offer farmers practical tools to boost resilience, nutrient efficiency, and sustainability without replacing fertilizers or pesticides. Biostimulants are currently in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. The increasing regulatory pressure and the slowdown in funding have left farmers, companies, and policymakers with more questions than answers. For some, they're a miracle cure; for others, a marketing vanity. Yet, behind the noise, lies a simple truth: biostimulants are neither a silver bullet nor a fad—they're a pragmatic, science-driven tool that can help farmers increase resilience, improve nutrient use efficiency, and reduce the carbon footprint of production.
This article attempts to explain what biostimulants are, their categories, active ingredients, innovation, adoption in India, and market potential, and to give everyone some directions to decipher the answers for themselves.

What Are Biostimulants?
Biostimulants aren't new. They have a long and rich history of use. Documented practices in medieval Ireland, Normandy, and the Channel Islands from the 12th century onward describe the use of dried seaweed, often referred to as “wrack,” applied to fields to improve soil fertility—especially on nutrient-poor soils. A more modern landmark: in 1947, the company Maxicrop introduced the first industrial liquid seaweed fertilizer—marking the formal emergence of seaweed-based biostimulants in agriculture. India has also been no stranger to using plant and microbial concoctions in the form of Panchagavya, Jeevamrut, and Beejamrut to improve plant and soil health. Vrikshayurveda by Surapala (~10th century CE) provides a holistic view of plant life, encompassing seed selection, soil preparation, irrigation, and nourishment. It describes Kunapajala for crop health, "waking the soil," and improving "seed power."
The Fertilizer Control Order (FCO) guidelines (2021) define biostimulants as substances or microorganisms, excluding nutrients and pesticides, that stimulate natural plant processes to enhance nutrient uptake, nutrient-use efficiency, tolerance to abiotic stress, and crop quality.
It's important to remember that they don't directly control pests or act as fertilizers. Instead, they work with the plant and soil biology to unlock better performance.

AI (Active Ingredients) Today & Tomorrow
Biologicals are booming, with biostimulants among the fastest-growing segments. As plant and soil health take center stage, global innovation is accelerating. While specific biostimulant patent landscape data is limited, the agritech patent landscape offers a strong proxy. The U.S. remains a leader but shows slowing growth, while India and China are experiencing rapid growth (WIPO Agrifood Tech Patent Landscape Report).

Current Dominant Actives
• Polysaccharides and hormones from seaweed extracts
• Amino acids and peptides from protein hydrolysates
• Humic and fulvic acids from soil organic matter
• Microbial inoculants (e.g., Bacillus, Trichoderma, Pseudomonas)
• Chitosan for plant immunity

Emerging Next-Gen Actives
• Secondary metabolites (phenolics, alkaloids, terpenoids) with targeted signaling
• Peptides triggering specific plant defense pathways
• Engineered microbial consortia designed for multi-stress resilience
• Crop-specific signaling molecules for yield enhancement

Why this matters: Moving toward defined actives enables mechanistic clarity, more consistent results, and easier regulatory acceptance.
Biostimulants have an adoption rate of, at best, 10% in India with an extremely strong growth rate. This growth is going to see a strong push due to rising awareness of climate issues, carbon footprints, and consumer demand for clean and nutritious food. Growers of high-value horticulture crops seeking quality premiums are one of the fastest-growing segments. Others are adopting them due to the need to improve nutrient-use efficiency (NUE).

What are the Innovation Opportunities?
Innovation-centric companies are focusing on reimagining active ingredients as well as formulations. We can expect fewer “broad claims” and more precise positioning, e.g., "Increases phosphorus uptake under acidic soils by 20%" vs. "Improves plant growth."
1. Defined Active Ingredients: Standardized metabolite-based biostimulants with clear modes of action.
2. Hybrid Products: Combining microbial and biochemical actives.
3. Crop- & Soil-Specific Formulations: Data-driven personalization based on soil health metrics.
4. Integration with Digital Agriculture: Linking biostimulant use with satellite/IoT monitoring for precision dosing.

What Farmers & Consumers Must Know
For Farmers: Biostimulants are not a substitute for good agronomy—they are enhancers. Nor are they meant to replace fertilizers, insecticides, or pesticides. Farmers must choose products backed by validated data. Match the biostimulant type to the crop and the problem (stress, nutrient lock-up, quality).
For Consumers: Biostimulants can reduce the synthetic input load, potentially lowering the environmental footprint of food. They are not “organic” by default; they are “biological” or “bio-based”—two different concepts.
What’s next for the Industry?
Invest in mechanistic R&D for defined actives. Avoid over-claiming—focus on measurable outcomes. Build portfolio diversity to hedge against market and climate shifts. Train agronomists and dealers to recommend biostimulants based on soil and crop conditions. Use demonstration plots in major agri-clusters to build farmer trust.

The Bottom Line
Biostimulants are not hype—they're a necessary weapon in the farmer’s arsenal. Regulatory requirements will tighten globally, and this is definitely not a death knell. The sector will slowly mature from generic, “me-too” products toward targeted, defined, and high-efficacy solutions. For farmers, they represent a pathway to higher productivity with lower inputs. For the agri-input industry, they are a high-growth diversification. And for policymakers, they are an essential lever to meet climate, food security, and sustainability goals. 

(Writer is Co-founder & Chief Executive Officer, BioPrime. Views expressed are personal)