The Deputy Secretary General of Organization of UPA Andalucía, Francisco Moreno, has emphasized that biostimulants are consolidating as one of the tools with "the greatest potential to improve the efficiency, competitiveness, and sustainability of agricultural operations." However, he has warned that "they remain a relatively unknown technology for a significant part of farmers."
In this regard, he has indicated that their use is already "widely spread" in many producing regions of Andalusia. In numerous cases, producers apply them without explicitly knowing it, as they are included in the recommendations of technicians, cooperatives, and agricultural supply companies.
"Biostimulants are already part of the present of our agriculture and will have an even more important role in the future. However, they remain a relatively unknown tool for many farmers, despite being increasingly used in diverse crops such as the horticultural ones of Almería, tropical ones, the strawberry of Huelva, or the olive grove," Francisco Moreno has pointed out.
The representative of UPA Andalucía has noted that one of the priorities is to strengthen training and dissemination around these solutions, so that it is clearly explained what they are, how they work, and what concrete benefits they bring to agricultural operations.
"Many farmers use biostimulants because they are part of the technical recommendations they receive, but it is essential that they better understand what they contribute and how they can help them improve both the profitability and sustainability of their operations," he has stated.
To advance in this objective, Francisco Moreno has claimed the role of independent entities with a technical profile in the transfer of knowledge to the field: "Dissemination must be supported by neutral and reference entities such as CSIC, IFAPA, and other specialized organizations. Rigorous and verified information from independent institutions generates much greater trust among farmers than that which can be perceived solely from the commercial sphere."
In a scenario marked by the rising costs of production and, in particular, of fertilizers, UPA Andalucía understands that biostimulants can become a key tool to optimize resources and improve the efficiency of operations.
"Farmers need effective solutions, but also economically viable ones. Biostimulants can help improve the absorption and utilization of nutrients present in the soil or provided through fertilization, allowing for the optimization of fertilizer use, reducing inputs, and moving towards more sustainable production models," explained Francisco Moreno.
Along with the potential cost savings, he recalled that biostimulants offer interesting uses related to the improvement of crop quality. In this regard, the Deputy Secretary General of UPA Andalucía highlighted that "we are talking about tools that can help improve aspects such as color, flavor, or quality of fruits, and even promote processes as important as pollination in certain production systems, as happens in some crops in the province of Huelva".
In the face of challenges such as climate change, rising temperatures, limited water resources, or the increasing pressure of pests and diseases, UPA Andalucía considers it essential to maintain the momentum for research and development of these technologies.
Therefore, Francisco Moreno concluded that "we must continue researching, developing, and disseminating the use of biostimulants. They have the capacity to become a key element of a more efficient, competitive, and resilient agriculture, prepared to face the present and future challenges that increasingly affect our agricultural operations".