Biostimulant Applications in Plant Growth and Stress Management
Summary
Biostimulants constitute a diverse group of organic and microbial formulations applied to crops with the aim of enhancing growth, nutrient acquisition and resilience to environmental stressors. Unlike conventional fertilisers or pesticides, biostimulants act through novel or emergent properties of their complex constituents, including humic substances, protein hydrolysates, seaweed extracts and beneficial microorganisms. By modulating physiological and biochemical pathways—such as root architecture, hormone balance, antioxidant metabolism and microbial interactions—these products can improve crop yield and quality while reducing reliance on synthetic inputs. In particular, biostimulants have attracted attention for their capacity to mitigate abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, extreme temperatures and soil degradation, making them pivotal tools in sustainable agriculture. Advances in extraction and formulation technologies have expanded the commercial availability of these products, yet ongoing research continues to elucidate mechanisms of action, optimise application methods and explore synergies between microbial and non-microbial agents. The global significance of biostimulant research lies in its potential to boost food security, reduce agrochemical use and foster environmental resilience across diverse cropping systems.
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Biostimulant Applications in Plant Growth and Stress Management publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in biostimulant applications in plant growth and stress management across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Biostimulant: A formulation of biological origin that enhances plant productivity through emergent properties of its constituents rather than by supplying known essential nutrients or regulators.
Humic substances: Complex, heterogeneous organic molecules derived from the decomposition of plant and microbial residues, known to improve soil structure, nutrient availability and root development.
Protein hydrolysate: A mixture of amino acids and peptides produced by enzymatic or chemical breakdown of proteins that can stimulate carbon and nitrogen metabolism, hormone activity and stress tolerance in plants.
Abiotic stress: Adverse non-living environmental factors such as drought, salinity or extreme temperatures that impair plant growth and yield.
References
- Artificially regulated humification in creating humic-like biostimulators. npj Clean Water (2024).
- Biostimulants in Plant Science: A Global Perspective. Frontiers in Plant Science (2017).
- The role of biostimulants and bioeffectors as alleviators of abiotic stress in crop plants. Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture (2017).
- Biostimulants Application in Horticultural Crops under Abiotic Stress Conditions. Agronomy (2019).
- Biostimulant Properties of Seaweed Extracts in Plants: Implications towards Sustainable Crop Production. Plants (2021).
- Synergistic Biostimulatory Action: Designing the Next Generation of Plant Biostimulants for Sustainable Agriculture. Frontiers in Plant Science (2018).
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