Biostimulators: why are they useful?

WHAT ARE BIOSTIMULATORS?

Definition: substances or microorganisms that are released onto the plant or root (rhizosphere). They stimulate plant processes such as nutrient uptake, nutrient and water utilisation, resistance to stress (drought, heat, frost, insect/fungal damage ...). This improves the quality of the plant and increases its yield, all this independently of their nutrient content. 

So they are like foliar fertilizer?

No! Foliar fertilisers work thanks to the nutrients they contain, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium ... In biostimulants, there are no nutrients, the aim is not to feed the plant. However, it is possible to mix biostimulants with nutrients for an even better effect.

Think of foliar fertilisers as food in a butcher's or bakery. They provide us with energy and nutrients. And biostimulants are like Berry Drops or other vitamins and nutritional supplements. These biostimulants will not "satiate" the plant, but it will be the healthiest it can be and will produce the most crops.

What biostimulators are there?

Humic forming substances e.g. humic and fulvic acids 🪴

These substances are naturally present in the soil organic matter content, the result of interactions between microorganisms and living roots. The effect of humus forming compounds is highly dependent on their raw material, e.g. Leonardite-type materials are more effective than peat or compost-type materials. Humic substances increase the soil's capacity to fix nitrogen, sulphur and phosphorus so that they do not leach out and remain available for root uptake. Soil humus is bound together with soil colloids by the glomalin protein produced by the mycorrhizal fungus to form soil aggregates (friable soil). This is the habitat for beneficial fungi and bacteria. 

The following product in the Danuba Garden range contains Leonradite-type humus forming materials: Blackjak

Seaweeds and other plant extracts 🪸

The best known seaweed in agriculture is Ascophyllum nodosum. Besides these you can find

even Sargassum or Ecklonia species. Their action is not primarily due to the macro and microelements they contain, but to the special compounds they contain, such as polysaccharides, alginite, betaine, phytohormones ...

Algae have been used for a very long time in the cosmetics industry as well as in human and animal feed. 

The Danuba Garden offers Asco Alga and the Kelpak products contain a high density of algae extract.

Amino acids and other N-containing compounds 🧪

The amino acids used here may be artificially produced or of plant and animal origin. Plants are not as good at utilising amino acids of animal origin. In addition to amino acids, this category also includes peptides, which are composed of several amino acid molecules. This group includes other N compounds such as betaines and polyamines. The Danuba Garden range includes the amino acid pidolin (PA), which regulates the nitrogen metabolism of the plant, and the biostimulants DPU and Gamma-PGA in R100, which increase the production of plant growth hormone and the uptake of cations.

On this biostimulators a Ino-N Fix can be found in the product.

Chitosan and other biopolymers 🦀

The active substance chitosan is produced from the chitinase of insects. Chitosan is a product recognised in the EU as a biological bactericide and fungicide, but not as a pesticide. It is also used in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. It enhances the plant's natural defences, but also improves water use! 

The Danuba Garden offers SoftGuard product contains the active ingredient chitin. 

Useful bacteria 🧫

This is perhaps the group that needs the least explanation. There are many products on the Hungarian market that contain beneficial bacteria. Danuba Garden offers the N tying and stem breaking Ino Bact N-Cell, and the Wheat Bacteria, Maize Bacteria and Beet Bacteria include. This is The latter is able to provide the plant with the nutrients it needs even at lower fertilizer rates, so there is no reduction in yield, thanks to biostimulators!

Useful mushrooms 🍄

In Hungary, the best known beneficial fungus is Trichoderma. Danuba Garden also offers two products that have beneficial effects in the soil. These are Tricho and the Hungarian Tricho B. In addition to these, this year will see the introduction of the new Trichoderma, which lives and reproduces in the plant, protecting it together with the plant's immune system.

This product is the Tricho Immun, developed and registered with researchers at the University of Debrecen.

Danuba Garden has another useful mushroom in its portfolio, and that is the Mikorrhiza. MikoMax Garden (granules) and its its 10 kg rival, as well as the MikoMax Gel (gel). Furthermore, the Ino-Myc our products are liquid, while 10 plant mulch mix Micorrhiza mixOur product contains micorrhiza in granular form.