Bio-stimulant Is this pesticide management or fertilizer management? Europe and the United States have different attitudes

In recent years, there has been a very hot new term in the global agricultural market: Plant biostimulants. This is proposed by American professors. It promotes the vast vocabulary in Europe and attracts the attention of major companies and institutions around the world. Plant biostimulators have also formed a worldwide hot concept and product type in just a few years. .

Biostimulants are neither pesticides nor fertilizers, nor can they completely replace pesticides and fertilizers. So how is it defined? Recently, Europe and the United States have updated the definition and management of biostimulants. Let's take a look.


EU



In 2019, the European Parliament approved the adoption of a new draft fertilizer regulation covering all types of fertilizers, which will replace the existing old Regulation Regulation (EC) No 2003/2003 and be officially implemented in 2022 after approval by the Council of the European Union.


The new regulations approved this time, for biostimulating hormones, have the following updates:
1. Proposing to amend the relevant provisions of the pesticide management regulations to clarify that biostimulants are not classified as pesticides.
Section 47 of the draft fertilizer regulations states that the second chapter (article 2), chapter 3 (article 3) and chapter 80 (article 80) of the European Union's pesticide management regulations Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 are amended. The definition of plant biostimulating hormone is clarified, and it is indicated that plant biostimulating hormone is not in the category of pesticide management.
Second, increase the specific definition of plant biostimulating hormone
Plant biostimulating hormone is a product independent of plant nutrients. It can promote the absorption of plant nutrients, improve the nutrient use efficiency of plants or plant rhizosphere, improve the ability of plants to resist abiotic stress, improve crop quality, and promote soil or rhizosphere. Effective absorption of nutrients, etc.
Third, set limits on some heavy metals to reduce health and environmental risks
The introduction of heavy metal limits in the new regulations reduces the risks to human health and the environment caused by the use of related fertilizer products. For example, the new regulations limit the amount of cadmium in phosphate fertilizer to no more than 60 mg/kg. If the cadmium content of a fertilizer product is less than 20mg/kg, a low-cadmium product can be clearly marked on the label for product marketing. It is reported that after four years of implementation of the regulation, the European Commission will further evaluate the feasibility of this measure.


United States


Recently, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a draft guide recommending the management of naturally occurring biostimulants under pesticide regulations and registration as pesticides. The guidelines treat specific naturally occurring ingredients as plant regulators and are therefore subject to the regulation of the Environmental Protection Agency's Pesticide Regulations (FIFRA).


However, at the end of 2018, the Farm Bill was the first to define plant biostimulants as a substance or microbe that, when used in seeds, plants, or roots, activates natural processes to enhance or benefit nutrition. Absorption, nutrient efficiency, abiotic stress tolerance, or crop quality and yield. It is basically consistent with the definition of the European Union.


The situation of biostimulating hormone in China



At present, there are no clear regulations on the management of biostimulants in China. When the general manufacturer registers, it is often based on the nature of the biostimulant produced, whether it is partial or partial, and is registered according to the management of agricultural fertilizer or pesticide management.


For example, amino acids, seaweed fertilizers and humic acid products are registered in the name of fertilizers, and some microbial products are also managed under the system of microbial fertilizers. Other products such as oligosaccharides, proteins (polypeptides) and other products are registered in the name of pesticides.


Although the definition of biostimulating hormone in China is not clear, with the increasing emphasis on environmental safety and high-quality agricultural products, biostimulants are beneficial to improve soil environment, promote nutrient absorption, improve quality and enhance crop resistance. The organic substances of various active components of the reverse capacity are widely and will be increasingly applied to the efficient, green and ecological development of modern agriculture.


In the 2018 Global Biostimulant Market Overview and Market Development Strategy report, the current market status and development trends of global biostimulants are presented. It is pointed out that Europe and the United States will remain the world's first and second largest biostimulant market in recent years, but the demand for biostimulating hormones in the Asia-Pacific region, especially in the Chinese market, will be strong, and the growth rate of bio-stimulants will continue to grow. The fast market is expected to become the world's largest market for biostimulating hormones.


China's plant-derived biostimulating hormone has unique advantages

At present, the world-recognized products of plant biostimulating hormones include four major categories: plant-derived extracts (mainly algae and plant extracts), microbial preparations (containing living microorganisms or microbial ferments), peptides and free amino acids (proteins). Decomposition products, microbial fermentation purification and others), humic acid and fulvic acid.


In countries such as Europe and the United States, amino acids, humic acids and algae extracts account for nearly 90% of biostimulants. In China, plant extracts have unique development advantages due to the influence of traditional Chinese medicine culture. With abundant resource advantages and technological advantages, China has become one of the most important suppliers of plant extracts in the world.


Plant-derived biostimulating hormone refers to substances extracted from plants, which have the functions of regulating crop growth and development, improving crop resistance, disease resistance, and promoting nutrient absorption of crops, such as alfalfa, acid, polyphenols, polysaccharides, Terpenoids, flavonoids, alkaloids, etc. Plant-derived biostimulants are used in plants for plants and have the highest compatibility with crops, so they are the best as biostimulants.


In view of the unique advantages of the development of plant-derived biostimulants in China and the market demand for plant-derived biostimulants, the industry has recognized that its market prospects are huge. With the continued development and promotion of plant biostimulants in the world and the development of agriculture in the direction of green, safety, environmental protection and sustainability, we believe that plant biostimulants will become the mainstream products in the future market, Great contribution to environmental protection and sustainable development.