Plant Biostimulants — Snake Oils or Beneficial Substances?

Abstract

Recent years have seen an explosion of products under the term “biostimulants” for use as alternatives to traditional crop production chemicals. Among the most commonly used biostimulants are humic and fulvic acids, seaweed extracts, and beneficial microbes. This article gives a brief overview of these substances and their reported effects on plant growth and health and also presents preliminary results from ongoing studies at the SWFREC.