We'd Like To Mention

Biologicals are booming. The global ag biologicals market is expected to grow from $14.7 billion in 2023 to $27.9 billion in 2028, according to research firm MarketsandMarkets. An estimated $1 billion of annual investment goes into biologicals. That's a lot of "Bs" by any count.

Biologicals consist of natural products, either living or chemistry byproducts from living or naturally occurring materials. They have been available for decades, but early versions used in agriculture often failed to live up to their promises.

Common complaints of inconsistency, stability and questionable efficacy only contributed to accusations of peddling snake oil, coupled with the fact biologicals fall under broad categories not easily defined -- microbials, biostimulants, biopesticides and plant growth regulators, to name a few. All created confusion and fueled skepticism, discouraging their use. As synthetic chemicals and fertilizers came on the market, farmers turned to them as their traditional crop inputs.

Over the years, our knowledge of biologicals has grown, leading to better products and improved results in the field. Today, biologicals are commonly used in specialty crops, many times in conjunction with synthetic chemicals, and have started to gain greater traction in row crops.

The future looks promising for biologicals as scientists uncover added benefits. Products are now available that promote plant/root growth and development, fix nitrogen and enhance nutrient uptake/availability, mitigate stress, stimulate root systems and more. The push for more sustainable food-production practices will likely add momentum to the adoption of biologicals, assuming they generate enough return on investment for farmers.

"We have a scenario where science is making biologicals more effective and, therefore, fit better [in the crop-production system]," says Corey Huck, global head of biologicals at Syngenta, speaking at the Agri-Pulse Food and Ag Issues Summit West in June. "It's not about fully offsetting synthetics; it's about opening the box of technology opportunities ... and frankly we're just starting to open the box on what these technologies [biologicals] can do for us."

Like any crop input, growers should thoroughly investigate biologicals, trying them on a few acres first in replicated trials. Some require special handling. Learn how they work to manage expectations, and be sure to check out results from third-party and/or independent research.

DTN Crops Editor Jason Jenkins recently reported on a study of N-fixing biologicals (https://tinyurl.com/…). The North Central Regional Association of State Agricultural Experiment Station Directors looked at 61 trials with and without biological nitrogen-fixing products. Only two of the trials showed significant yield increase with the use of the products compared to nitrogen alone.

In addition, the industry is still grappling with how best to regulate biologicals and establish cohesive standards since results can vary from year to year. With synthetic products, farmers have come to know what to expect -- it either kills the weed or it doesn't, for example.

The Fertilizer Institute recently announced the Certified Biostimulants Program that provides a single application for all 50 states' registration. It certified the testing methods which demonstrate the product meets conformance standards for efficacy, safety and composition. It doesn't certify efficacy but instead allows manufacturers to support their claims through research reports or literature.

Such transparency is critical for farmers to adopt biologicals and to continue to encourage industry investment. "Unfortunately, there are some biologicals being released without true validation," explains Craig Brekkas, region head, North America for agrochemical company UPL. "This confuses farmers about what biologicals are and what they can and can't do."

No one expects biologicals to replace synthetic chemicals and fertilizers anytime soon, if ever. There is still much to learn and discover. As with any product, healthy skepticism should guide farmers when deciding how biologicals may best fit their operations.

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-- Write Gregg Hillyer, 2204 Lakeshore Dr., Suite 415, Birmingham, AL 35209, email gregg.hillyer@dtn.com, or follow Gregg on Twitter @GreggHillyer

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