Plant Stresses and Biostimulants
The Stress Factor
What causes a plant to be stressed?

Stresses can originate from the surrounding environment (called abiotic), or, they can come from living organisms that can cause disease or damage (called biotic stresses).



How do Biostimulants help?

Biostimulants work well in aiding the plant through experiencing these stress factors, they act a bit like how a steroid would work for a human.
By assessing plant stress factors the correct biostimulant product can be formulated to help, the biostimulant industry is not a ‘one product fixes all’ market.
Raw materials are selected for their stimulation performance for example Ascophyllum seaweed.
Ascophyllum is found in the intertidal zones around the Northern hemisphere. With tides covering the plant with salt water twice daily and it experiencing long periods of dry conditions in between as well as rapid changing temperatures, this seaplant has developed natural defence mechanisms to survive the harsh environment where conditions can change on an hourly basis.
Its high alginate levels allow the plant to be flexible and resist the force of the battering sea. Found within the cells of this plant are bioactives including cytokinins, auxins and gibberellins which are a result of the evolution of this seaweed ie.survival of the fittest.

By extracting these bioactives they can be applied in an extract to help tackle drought and encourage rooting in crops.


The Biostimulant market has been well established in Asia for a number of years and usage is far more than any European country. This is purely down the fact that Asian countries experience a higher concentration of the stress factors at any one time.

E.g Some areas in China can experience 40℃ heat during the day then experience freezing conditions sub -10℃ at night. Not many European countries experience a contrast in temperatures like this during a 24hour period.


Will a Biostimulant eliminate a Biotic stress?
Biostimulants do not eliminate Biotic stresses, they purely strenghten the plant encouraging survival and normal ouput ie. crop yields.

E.g. an Orange farmer has an issue with aphids on his crop, application of seaweed extract will not kill the aphids but encourage quicker re-growth of the damaged tissue.
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