The Biologicals Boom: What’s Driving the Market for Biostimulants, Biopesticides and Biofertilizer?
October 15, 2024 Death, taxes, and biologicals. With apologies to Benjamin Franklin, the growth of biological products in agriculture seems as inevitable as the first two. In the past few years, both the interest in and use of biological products (primarily biostimulants, biopesticides, biofertilizers) seem to have increased exponentially.
“Great strides are being made in the biopesticide segment in terms of performance and ease of use, but that segment still lags the biostimulant or plant health segment and will likely continue to do so for some time,” says John Wolf, Chief Operating Officer, Agricen. “New forms of biofertilizers are making a big splash across the industry. There are also a number of new entrants to the market that utilize biostimulants embedded in traditional products for increased efficiency.”
There are many reasons biologicals extended their reach.
“Besides helping to reduce chemical waste in food and water, growers and retailers should recommend the use of biologicals to help soil integrity and natural biodegradation of organic matter,” says Lucy Marshall, Ph.D., Research Director, Biosorb Inc.
Biological products are not ready to completely replace their synthetic couterparts. At Corteva, the goal is to have biologicals work in conjunction with traditional crop inputs.
“Biocontrols can fit very well into programs that include more traditional products by offering new and different modes of action for controlling pests,” says Jim Davis, our North American Biologicals Regional Director, Corteva. “We always encourage multiple modes of action in pest control programs to help delay the development of resistance and extend the usefulness of the active ingredients farmers currently rely on.
“The current offering of biological products has focused on maximizing nutrient efficiency with products like Utrisha N and Utrisha P or lessening problematic weather conditions like the heat and drought mitigation with Sosdia Stress,” Davis continues. “All of these options work in tandem with existing chemistry, plant breeding and traditional production to complement each other.”
Many companies look to take advantage of the growing popularity of biologicals. That can have both positive and negative impacts.
“The entire ag economy has been under pressure, and biologicals are no different,” says Chris Judd, VP of North America, Certis Biologicals. “While we continue to see growth, the North American specialty crops market is maturing with slower growth rates. The market has become increasingly crowded, with new players entering the field, from startups to the ‘Big Ag Chems,’ making it more challenging to demonstrate differentiation in performance. In row crops, we’ve seen encouraging growth in biostimulants and bionutrition, but now we are seeing challenged commodity crop pricing, so biological applications could be challenged in a reduced input environment.”
Those companies that will be successful need to do more than just develop new products.
“We need to think like a farmer,” says Marcio Wally, Biological Senior Manager, Yara North America. “Farmers are constantly pushing themselves, working late into the night or waking up very early to manage their crops around unpredictable weather. I genuinely believe biologicals are not just crop-changing — they’re life-changing. It’s peace of mind.”
Finding Purpose
Recognizing the vast impact providers can have at the ground level, they’re delivering new solutions giving end-users more reason to include biologicals as part of their crop input plan. Photo: Yara
“The goal of biologicals isn’t just to reduce plant stress, but to ease the burden on farmers as well,” says Delaine Mandziak, Agronomist-Biologicals, Yara North America. “When extreme heat causes crops to wither week after week, it’s incredibly stressful for growers. But knowing they’ve safeguarded their crops with a biological product can give them peace of mind. It’s not just about better yields.”
Recognizing the vast impact providers can have at the ground level, they’re delivering new solutions giving end-users more reason to include biologicals as part of their crop input plan.
“The past couple of years, particularly 2024, have been pivotal for the biologicals market,” says James Maude, Senior Vice President, Acadian Plant Health. “There’s been a noticeable shift in market share from synthetic products to biologicals, driven by increasing demand from both retailers and grower end-users.”
According to Agricen’s Wolf, “2024 has been challenging due to lower commodity prices than last year, but growing conditions have been excellent for many of the growers that use the products we make, and they are continuing to push for higher yields and more efficiency using biologicals.”
Despite their increasing effectiveness, biologicals are among the first products to fall by the wayside when growers are looking to save money.
“As commodity prices continue to fall, additive products like biologicals (as well as biostimulants, micronutrients, etc.) will likely be dropped from crop plans in an effort to save money,” says Tommy Roach, Vice President-Product Development & Technical Services, Nachurs Alpine Solutions. “This is the wrong thing to do as money could be saved in other areas like reduced broadcast fertility and over application of nitrogen.”
The Retailer’s Role
There are a number of players (both companies and products) entering the market. Finding the right solution requires understanding how and why it was created. That is a good area for retailers to get involved.
“It’s important to note not all biologicals are created equal and categorizing them together minimizes the vast differences across products,” says Kade Haas, Senior Vice President, Locus Agriculture. “Growers shouldn’t simply use any biological product and retailers shouldn’t recommend all of them. It’s crucial to use the right biologicals.
“At Locus AG, we emphasize that biologicals aren’t just ‘nice-to-haves’ but are vital inputs,” Haas continues. “Farmers can invest in high-quality seeds, fertilizer, NPK nutrients, irrigation, etc., but without good soil fertility and a strong root system, much of that investment can go to waste. When every dollar counts, as it does in farming, the right biologicals can make the difference between a profitable harvest and a failed one.”
There are many reasons retailers should promote biological products to their grower-customers.
“First and foremost is their proven performance, coupled with improved application methods and economic benefits,” says Certis’ Judd. “Biologicals play a critical role in managing resistance on the farm, enhancing worker safety, reducing residues, and ultimately contributing to yield improvement.”
Brian Thompson, Ph.D., Co-Founder, President, and Chief Executive Officer, Elemental Enzymes, offers some additional benefits.
“Biological and naturally derived crop inputs are the future of agriculture, quite frankly,” Thompson says. “Encouraging early adoption of these products positions a retailer to become a trusted authority and consultant for growers about future products. Becoming an early adopter as a grower shows consumers you’re committed to food and environmental safety and sustainability. With the newer non-microbial biological products, the grower can make positive changes without sacrificing yield or consistency in their programs.”
Whether it’s a chat over coffee at a corner diner with another grower, advice from a consultant or ag extension specialist, an internet search, or discussions with a trusted advisor, there’s no shortage of information. And what works on one plot might not carry over to a neighboring plot.
“They represent new tools growers can rely on to help combat the main challenges of growing crops,” says Arturo Redes, Global Head, Portfolio Management at Nufarm. “They are alternative ways of minimizing damage and yield loss caused by pests and diseases, providing new modes of action that help manage resistance. Biologicals are means of making the over-arching agronomic plan for a farm more efficient — they can be a cost-effective additive that stretches the performance of core nutrients and chemistries.”
Success means pairing a biological offering with the other products to reach the desired outcome.
“We are seeing more beneficial microbes entering the market that address biotic stressors, such as plant diseases or parasites,” says Matthew Powe, Senior Technical Agronomist, Indigo Ag. “In some cases, these products may supplement a synthetic product or even replace it entirely. We are starting to see a more prescriptive approach to the use of biological products — in particular, how specific products are selected for placement on certain soil types and in certain environments. These types of refined recommendations will continue to become more prevalent and effective as we learn more about the interactions between biological products and the environments in which we place them.
“Continued weed and pest resistance to conventional pesticides is likely to drive an uptick in use of naturally derived crop input products, as is an increasingly regulatory atmosphere scrutinizing chemical effects on the environment,” says Elemental Enzyme’s Thompson. “The impacts of climate change are also affecting crops through prolonged drought or flooding, as well as heat extremes, opening up opportunities for more effective crop solutions.”
Drivers
As biological solution providers continue to deliver effective products, interest and usage continue to grow.
“There’s a growing thirst for knowledge when it comes to soil health,” says Fred Nichols, Chief Marketing and Chief Sales Officer, Huma. “Many growers realize that what they’ve always done is not sustainable — not financially sustainable, that is. It’s time to stop working the soil and start working with it.”
With farming’s plethora of variables, it might be hard to quantify all aspects of biological products, but those that do deliver on the outcome provide multiple benefits.
“Many factors are driving biologicals and biostimulants to the field, including finding new tools to manage difficult weather, addressing pest and pathogen pressure, and achieving necessary yields sustainably,” says Christopher Gee, Ph.D., National Agronomy and Development Director, Timac Agro USA. “Confidence in the performance of biologicals has been built on years of efficacy research on many products. The consistent track record of performance on par with, or better than, synthetic crop protection and fertility products has helped fight against the perception that biologicals equate to snake oil.”
Research and testing behind biologicals supports the notion that biologicals are beneficial and can enhance the traditional crop input plan.
“It all comes down to results and trust,” says Matt Werner, Wilbur-Ellis Nutrition Portfolio Manager. “These tools are not just another add-on; they improve soil health and help make nutrients more available. But these generic benefits are no longer enough.”
Success comes in many forms.
“Finally, sustainability has strongly influenced how biologicals were used,” says Bill Diederich, Chief Innovation Officer of BiOWiSH Technologies, Inc. “Food companies are actively monitoring and assessing their carbon footprint through the calculation of carbon Intensity for agricultural products. This is causing an increase in sustainable ag programs that are encouraging the use of regenerative practices.”
Chad Stone, Key Accounts Manager – Seed Treatment, Albaugh LLC, shares his Top 5 factors that influenced the biologicals market in 2024:
- Return on investment
- Higher yields
- Sustainability
- Soil health
- Regenerative ag initiatives
One of the driving forces for biologicals is growers trying to push the yield envelop. Photo: AgroLiquid
Galynn Beer, National Strategy Lead for AgroLiquid, agrees Stone’s second item is key to segment growth.
“The driving force for biologicals is with growers trying to push the yield envelop,” he says. “They are incorporating biologicals to limit the amount of money committed to extra fertilizer to achieve higher goals. In other words, using biologicals to try to push yields higher rather than continuing to apply more fertilizer, so they are looking for biologicals to bridge that gap.”
“Because the biologicals industry is growing quickly, we see lots of companies coming to market every week,” Corteva’s Davis says. “When choosing a biological product or partner, I recommend working closely with people and companies that you trust, with good track records and solid science to ensure you are buying a solution that is reliable. Consider these three questions when choosing a biological solution or program:
- Does the person or company selling me this product understand my farm’s challenges so it will integrate and fill a need in my production?
- Can the person or company show me the data? Bold claims are easy, but you need reliable results that can be tangibly understood and lead to improved productivity.
- How can I test the product? Because biologicals often protect crops against challenges that aren’t as easily seen as weeds, it is important to do a comparison of an untreated field to help validate the benefit and return on your investment.”
Education
“The biological space in the fertilizer world used to be a relatively quiet one,” says Monte Bottens, Founder and CEO, Ag Solutions Network (ASN). “Despite their new popularity, what remains the same about biologicals is the proven value they add to crop nutrition and soil health. With more noise in the space, there’s also more confusion as new products enter and larger companies stake their claims on the biological market, demanding farmer attention.”
Opportunities
“It’s important to dig into the buying decisions along the channel with so many bio products and crop varieties, but overall, the influence continues to be coming from local trusted sources,” says Boomer Cardinale, Regional Director, North America, Agri Sciences Biologicals. “Trusted sources include crop consultants, agronomists, and retailers that help navigate the waterfall of information coming from the biologicals market. Validation from these trusted sources helps lower the risk of analysis paralysis if a conventional grower is ready to adopt biologicals into their input program.”
Looking Ahead
Inevitably consolidation will thin the provider herd, but the industry is a long way away from being dominated by just a few entities.
“We anticipate 2025 being a challenging year for growers in the U.S. and abroad as we continue to see farm income decreasing, while crop inputs remain at a higher cost level relative to the overall expense of production agriculture,” says Shane Hand, Valent BioSciences Vice President, Global Marketing & Business Management. “Growers must be strategic as they consider their crop inputs for 2025, and ensure they are using solutions they are confident will generate a positive return on investment.”
Each year, it seems, the market gets closer to meeting expectations.
“As growers embrace biological products in greater numbers, it’s an exciting time to be involved in the biologicals space; new companies and products are entering the market. Even with that, says Nachurs’ Roach: “We have only just begun to unlock the potential of biological and biostimulant products and how to properly use them.”
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