Fertilizer prices are at an all-time high
How can agricultural biologicals help farmers?
Fertilizer prices are at an all-time high
Can agricultural biologicals help soften the blow ?
Bolstering farm resilience is the new imperative for farmers amid skyrocketing input prices. But biologicals products can help growers stretch scarce inputs further.
Farmers have kept an uneasy eye on the upward spike of fertilizer and fuel prices for the past two months, when the conflict in Iran expanded to the ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz. It’s hard to overstate just how critical this now-blocked global trade artery is for agriculture. About one-third of the world’s fertilizer and another 20 percent of its oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) passes through these waters every year.
Fertilizer is one of the essential building blocks of our modern food system. Farmers use precise amounts of these products to help plants grow to their full potential. And alongside the importance of oil and gas for everything, from fueling our cars to keeping the lights on and running farm machinery, LNG is a key ingredient in the nitrogen-based fertilizers growers use.
In short, the key physical ingredients that farmers need and rely on to grow enough food for us all to eat, a basic necessity that underpins the food security of millions of people around the world, are now stranded in the no-mans-land between active diplomatic trade disputes and resolved ones.
Meanwhile, the price of these essential inputs continues to climb. Fertilizer prices will increase an estimated 31 percent this year, to its worst level of affordability since 2022, according to The World Bank.
But what if growers had access to complementary solutions that could stretch fertilizer use in times of scarcity?
Luckily, they already do. Effective biologicals support fertilizers to help farmers grow consistent, sustainable yields – especially in times of stress or scarcity. And, with some inputs in short supply, these nature-inspired solutions can help farmers reduce their nitrogen inputs.
As growers hasten their transition to resilience-based farming to weather input price shocks, science-backed biologicals can lessen the blow of disrupted supply chains.
The nature-inspired solutions enhancing nutrient availability
Biologicals products typically fall into three categories: biostimulants, Nutrient Use Efficiency (NUE) products, and biocontrols.
First, let’s focus on biostimulants and NUE solutions. Think of these two as resilience-boosters in a bottle. Likened to “agricultural vitamins”, biostimulants stimulate plants' natural growth processes. NUE solutions, including biofertilizers, improve the availability of the nutrients plants need to thrive (we’ll get into the nitty-gritty below). By helping plants to grow and flourish, these categories of agricultural biologicals improve plant tolerance to extreme weather conditions, including drought and heavy rain.
Biocontrols, meanwhile, play a crucial role in integrated pest management for farmers. Natural allies for crops, these products bolster a plant’s defenses against pests, diseases, and weeds. In times of uncertainty, these solutions can strengthen overall soil and crop resilience in fields around the world. How? By supporting how well plants can grow.
Let’s break it all down: Like humans, plants need specific amounts of nutrients to thrive. Just how well a plant can use the nutrients available to it is called Nutrient Use Efficiency (NUE). It’s a vital lever of plant growth that can unlock bumper yields.
Nutrients found in the soil, including phosphorus, nitrogen, potassium, and micronutrients, are the building blocks crops need to grow healthy and strong. However, some of these nutrients are not always readily available. And if they are, they may not be in the exact amount that plants need.
This is where NUE products come in. These are substances or microorganisms that improve the availability of these nutrients – via methods including nitrogen fixing or retention and phosphorus solubilization – to promote plant growth, boost yields, or support resilience. In simple terms: NUE products help plants access more of what they need to thrive. These helping hands have the ability to enhance a crop’s entire growth and production cycle, while strengthening resilience against inclement weather and growing conditions.
Biostimulants stimulate plant's natural growth processes.
Biostimulants stimulate plant's natural growth processes.
NUE solutions, including biofertilizers, improve the availability of the nutrients plants need to thrive.
NUE solutions, including biofertilizers, improve the availability of the nutrients plants need to thrive.
Biocontrols strengthen a crop’s natural defenses against pests, diseases, and weeds.
Biocontrols strengthen a crop’s natural defenses against pests, diseases, and weeds.
The NUE + fertilizer combination
Like all clever pairings, NUE products and fertilizers enhance each other’s strengths, without cancelling the other out. Effective biologicals support fertilizers to help farmers grow consistent, sustainable yields – especially in times of stress or scarcity.
Studies have shown that growers using biologicals can reduce the overall amount of nitrogen they use on farm, while helping farmers to grow higher yields with a lower environmental impact. Baking resilience into farmers' operations, these products can buffer the effect of fertilizer price hikes in times of uncertainty and global trade shocks.
Complementary with conventional products, biologicals are another tool farmers can add to their toolkit of holistic farming approaches alongside precision agriculture, soil health, and integrated pest management.
The new era of agriculture
Farmers are future-focused: many buy their inputs months or years in advance and so have bought themselves some time against rising fertilizer costs. But not all growers can afford to, and many will feel the pinch of ever-climbing input costs.
In the meantime, bolstering farm resilience in order to reduce dependence on volatile trade routes has become the imperative for growers around the world. Syngenta itself has seen an uptick in interest in agricultural biologicals products, as growers seek to holistically diversify their toolkits. Regenerative agriculture, known for its benefits to soil and crop health, is increasingly seen as a core component of holistic farming. These resourceful approaches are two things growers know they can rely upon, despite all else.
Regenerative agriculture practices support overall farm resilience and wider environmental biodiversity. Read more about sustainable farming practices.
Regenerative agriculture practices support overall farm resilience and wider environmental biodiversity. Read more about sustainable farming practices.
