22 GERMINATION.CA SEPTEMBER 2017 SUPPORTED BY: ENDORSED BY: REGISTER NOW germination.ca/webinar REGISTER NOW for our next Strategy Session webinar! We’ll discuss this very topic and give you a chance to interact directly with experts. Date: Tuesday, October 10 Time: 1 p.m. ET talking about the technologies, expectations, and how and where to use and what to expect from our products. RT: These kinds of products are regulated a little differently than a traditional pesticide would be. The manufacturer has to prove they’re safe for people and the environment, but once they’ve proven that, that’s about it. There is no longer a require- ment to provide efficacy data, so growers need to be a bit more “buyer beware” with these products. As far as yield goes, different products accomplish different things. Some, for example, provide a stress response, which under ideal conditions may not have as large of an impact. Like with all crop protection products, understanding their fit will be key to having success with them. Ask some hard questions to make sure the products you’re buying have the data to back them up. Seed growers can use these kinds of products on the mother plants they grow seed from — the stress benefits can be sig- nificant. Stress can have an effect on seed quality, so having a biological in the soil for the season is hugely valu- able, and you’ll see a good impact on that end seed product. G: How are these products changing over time? JC: When a plant is under some kind of stress, the root exudates change and what you get are stress-related microorganisms in the rhizosphere. What we did is collect organisms from the healthy part of the rhizo- sphere, where we discovered a completely different set of microor- ALOOKATTHEMARKET FORBIOSTIMULANTS The biostimulants market was valued at $1.2 million in 2013, and this market is projected to be valued at $2.5 million by 2019. Though the market is primarily driven by acid-based biostimulants, seaweed extract-based biostimulants are gaining popularity and their usage is estimated to be driven by sustainable agricultural practices. The use of biostimulants in row crops and turf & ornamentals is projected to fuel the market growth. However, there is a rise in the trend regarding their use in high-value field crops such as corn, cotton, and oilseed crops. ganisms. If the plant is under stress, we can cut down on those stress- related microorganisms. If it’s healthy, we can give it more of those organ- isms. We don’t want to make a VW Bug become a racecar. We want to fine-tune a Ferrari to win the Indy 500. It’s a totally different mindset as far as designing products goes. GL: The soil microbiome is being looked at as a way of improving emergence. It’s becoming a big part of these new technologies, isolating microbes and looking at methods of increasing germination and root growth and taking the seed into consideration. Growers are using a combination of a fertilizer with a bio- logical. It’s a very exciting field. JT: Up until now, biologicals have focused on fertility. Now we’re exploring biocontrol options and using beneficial bacteria to protect plants from pathogens. The biggest opportunities in the next 10 years are biocontrol options and replacing some chemistry with them. RT: These types of products origi- nated from the concept of adding a rhizobial for nitrogen fixation. As the market has progressed, new microbes like a bacteria that grows as a biofilm or plaque around the root have been added. These bacteria create a matrix where the bacteria can communicate with one another and the plant through chemical hor- monal signals. This plaque can sense that cells of the roots are break- ing down, and if there’s a nutrient buildup, the bacteria can take advan- tage of it as a food source, and in return they provide a positive benefit to the plant’s growth. Innovation is high in this area. If you imagine roots as they move through the soil, cells are dying and sloughing off, and that is an energy cost to the plant. With a biofilm on there, that cost is reduced and the plant doesn’t have to expend so much energy growing roots, and can use it for producing yield.