Use of Biologicals in Agricultural Cropping Systems
Several recent articles in the popular press provide a discussion about biologicals and how they can be used in agriculture. Following is a link to those articles and pertinent points from each.
A May-June 2023 article titled “‘Snake Oil’ or ‘Viper Lipid’? How to Get the Most Out of Your Biostimulant” by Connor Sible and Fred Below at the Univ. of Illinois and a July 2023 article titled “What are Biologicals” by Betty Haynes featuring content provided by Connor Sible provide the following information.
• Biologicals can be classified as either 1) plant growth regulators [rarely used on soybeans]; 2) beneficial microbes that are living organisms–e.g. nitrogen [N]-fixing bacteria, phosphorus [P]-solubilizing microbes, mycorrhizal fungi; or 3) biostimulants that are “non-living” products–e.g. phosphatases [P-solubilizing enzymes], humic and fulvic acids, sugars–that are added to a plant or the soil to stimulate a beneficial natural process such as nutrient availability and/or uptake.
• Phosphorus-solubilizing microbes increase the P that is available to plants by secreting acids that release P from the soil to make it plant-available. Contact of these microbes with soil near the root system is important.
• Bacteria in the genus Bacillus are often added to the soil to enhance residue degradation to facilitate the release of nutrients–including P–that are present in organic residues.
• Many biostimulant products are on the market, so it is important to know if these products were developed and tested with adequate science and appropriate research.
• Only with adequate understanding of what process a product is supposed to affect and how it works to affect that process can a producer select the proper/best product to enhance the targeted process. Thus, a first step for a producer to take is to determine if a biostimulant product is needed so that the product that is selected is the correct one to enhance the targeted process.
• A beneficial microbial product is applied to supplement or enhance the activity of native microbes to result in a performance that is greater than that of the native microbial population alone.
• A major challenge when using any biostimulant is knowing the exact amount needed to induce the desired positive response and/or the time to apply the product since both will likely vary based on the crop being grown, its stage, and the environmental conditions at the time of product application. This will require research over a period of years in myriad growing conditions.
• Humic and fulvic acids have a direct role in nutrient availability. They are composed of chemical structures that can 1) mimic plant hormones and stimulate root growth, 2) enhance chelation of soil cations to prevent them from binding to P so that P fertilizer is more available to plants, and 3) provide a C source for soil microbes.
• As with any input to a cropping system, the first step is to identify if a biological additive will enhance a particular process that will positively affect the crop that is being grown, and then ensure the selected product will in fact enhance that process when properly applied.
• Finally, the authors state that “only with a proper understanding of how a product works can a producer then properly place and use it to optimize crop performance, and as importantly, know when not to use it”.
A May 2023 article titled “Considering biologicals? Do your homework” by Lawrence, Workman, and Ketterings provides the following additional information.
• Any biological product that is touted to enhance a soil function to improve crop performance needs 1) data to verify that it works and when it can provide a benefit to the crop being grown, and 2) should be tested across a diverse range of growing conditions to better understand when and where it is likely to provide an economic benefit.
• Before using biologicals in a cropping system, three questions should be asked and answered. 1) Will the product increase yield? 2) Can it reduce the need for fertilizer that is commonly added to crops in the system? 3) Will using a particular biological product provide a positive economic impact?
According to information in an Aug. 2023 Progressive Farmer magazine article titled “Biologicals: Manage Expectations” by Gregg Hillyer, the biologicals market is expected to reach $14.7 billion in 2023 and $27.9 billion in 2028, and $1 billion is annually invested in their development. They are increasingly being applied in row crop systems as scientists discover added benefits from their use and as there is increasing demand for more sustainable crop production. However, as with any product that is added to a crop or soil growing that crop, their use must provide a positive return on investment to the farmers who apply them. Also, transparency in the conduct of research with biological products and the results from that research is critical if farmers are going to adopt them and industry is going to continue to invest in their development.
Click here and here for articles on this website that present additional information about the use of soil additives and biologicals in crop production.
Composed by Larry G. Heatherly, Sep. 2023, larryh91746@gmail.com