There’s a lot of promise packed in microbials. These tiny organisms, a

There’s a lot of promise packed in microbials. These tiny organisms, also known as biologicals, could hold the key to unlocking yields — and companies are investing more time and money into discovering their potential.

© Lindsey Benne

There’s a lot of promise packed in microbials. These tiny organisms, also known as biologicals, could hold the key to unlocking yields — and companies are investing more time and money into discovering their potential. 

While encouraging, biologicals still face challenges, such as:

• Versatility. There could be some ecological trade-offs, such as the compound only working during specific plant growth stages.
• Growth. Some microbes aren’t practical to grow and might be so costly they’re not worth marketing.
• Stability. Microbes need to adapt to a range of conditions and application techniques without dying or losing efficacy.
• Life span. Organisms need to live through reproduction to benefit the plant.

The Difference Between Biopesticides and Biostimulants

There are two general categories of biological products: biopesticides and biostimulants. Each of these categories has different regulatory requirements, and funding from the farm bill will help ensure they’re accurately defined and tested.

Biopesticides:

• Allow organic producers to control pests.
• Provide minimal re-entry or preharvest intervals.
• Require fewer personal protective equipment pieces.
• Offer alternate, and often multiple, modes of action.
• Can be used as a residue management tool.

Biostimulants:

• Enhance plant growth and development.
• Improve efficiency of nutrients through better uptake or reduced losses.
• Work as soil amendments to improve soil structure, function or performance to enhance plant response.

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