The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) on March 16 praised Congress for introducing the Plant Biostimulant Act, legislation that TFI said will support the adoption of biostimulants by farmers and provide clarity to the emerging marketplace.
Introduced by Reps. Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.) and Jim Baird (R-Ind.) and Sens. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Mike Braun (R-Ind.), the Plant Biostimulant Act would amend the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) to establish a consistent national definition for “plant biostimulant” while specifically excluding such products, which are not pesticides, from FIFRA regulation.
TFI said the bill creates a uniform process for approving commercial plant biostimulant use as an alternative to synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, fosters research on the technology’s benefits for soil health, and implements uniform federal guidance from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Agriculture (USDA).
TFI President and CEO Cory Rosenbusch said the lack of a clear and consistent definition for “biostimulant” and the absence of a uniform framework to regulate them as plant nutrition products have been big hurdles for the industry.
“Biostimulants are a relatively new innovation in agriculture. There is great potential in these products, but as with any new technology there are hurdles,” Rosenbusch said. “The lack of a regulatory framework inhibits research and puts the US behind Europe in product development. Other countries are regulating biostimulants through a fertilizer lens and finding success. We are hitting a roadblock right out of the gate and need those guardrails to foster innovation, research, testing, and ultimately a path to market for these products.”
In addition to TFI, the bill is endorsed by the Agriculture Retailers Association (ARA), American Seed Trade Association (ASTA), Biological Products Industry Alliance (BPIA), Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), Council of Producers and Distributors of Agrotechnology (CPDA), CropLife America (CLA), Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA), Humic Products Trade Association (HPTA), International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA), National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP), Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment (RISE), Western Growers, and American Bird Conservancy.
“When we talk nutrient management, we are talking about minimizing losses to the environment, water quality, air quality, soil health, and all the other things important to the conservation and environmental communities,” Rosenbusch said. “Biostimulants support environmental stewardship by improving the efficiencies of fertilizer application and soil health while also increasing crop yields. With a growing population, demand for agricultural production continues to increase. The fertilizer industry is innovating to meet those demands and legislation like the Plant Biostimulant Act will allow that innovation to reach growers.”