Sustainable Agriculture – The Contribution of Biostimulation

To meet the growing demand for food production, due to the rapidly increasing population, there is a need for sustainable agricultural systems that are economically viable, environmentally safe and socially fair. Social concerns of conventional farming combined with the growing demand for sustainable agriculture and food safety have led to the emergence of alternative agricultural systems. Those emerging innovations and agricultural practices play a crucial role in ensuring sustainable food production systems. One of such innovations is plant biostimulation, which may make existing practices more efficient and sustainable. “Plant biostimulants contain substance(s) and micro-organisms whose function, when applied to plants or the rhizosphere, is to stimulate natural processes to enhance/benefit nutrient uptake, nutrient efficiency, tolerance to abiotic stress, and crop quality.” This paper presents an overview of plant biostimulation, its contribution to sustainable agriculture. Benefits and challenges of biostimulation are outlined, including uses, application in agricultural systems, public perception, global and market analysis.