Segments - Microbial Biostimulants Market by Crop Type (Row Crops, Fruits & Vegetables, Turfs & Ornamentals, Cereals & Grains, Oilseeds & Pulses, and Others), Origin (Synthetic Biostimulants and Natural Biostimulants), Application (Soil Treatment, Seed Treatment, and Foliar Treatment), Form (Dry and Liquid), End-user (Research Organizations, Farmers, and Others), Distribution Channel (Direct and Indirect), and Region (Asia Pacific, North America, Latin America, Europe, and Middle East & Africa) - Global Industry Analysis, Growth, Share, Size, Trends, and Forecast 2023 – 2031
The global microbial biostimulants market size was around USD 3.13 Bn in 2022 and is estimated to reach USD 7.57 Bn by 2031, expanding at a CAGR of 10.30 % during 2023–2031. The market growth is attributed to the rising general awareness of nutritional sustainability and the subsequent demand for organic food products.
Microbial biostimulants are biological substances including mineral compounds and micro-organisms that help retain soil fertility of the agricultural land to cultivate high nutritional-value food. Microbial biostimulants enhance the nutrient values of the food to be harvested by activating soil biological activity.
The food consumption pattern of people has changed significantly over the last decade. Nutritional sustainability is an important factor for every health-conscious individual. Pollution and excessive use of chemicals in agricultural fields have given rise to health issues for consumers. Thus, microbial biostimulants reduce the need for fertilizers and ensure agricultural yield with high nutritional values.
Organic farming is a stressful occupation as it involves lots of crop management issues including pest control, weed control, and management of soil fertility. Soil fertility is preserved to provide high nutritional value to consumers by retaining the genetic potential of the crops with the help of microbial biostimulants.
Crop yield and plant growth are dependent on the plant’s optimal biomedical and physiological functioning. The biomedical and physiological functioning of plants and crops can be disrupted as the water and air balance is disturbed. Plants and crops can sense even the slightest change in the environment such as temperature, salinity, and the presence of heavy metals in the soil. Microbial biostimulants help plants and crops to withstand these changes while retaining nutrient values in them.
Plant growth and its nutritional value can be enhanced by intensifying the bioactivity of compounds such as amino acids, phytohormones, and nutrients. Microbial biostimulants improve nutrient uptake and tolerance to harmful environmental changes in plants by improving the levels of carbon and nitrogen content in the soil.
Soil microbes stimulate the supply of nutrients such as phosphorous and zinc to plants if the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio in the soil is maintained at or around 24:1. Plants and crops increase the relative concentrations of organic constituents required for the sustenance and metabolic reactions of soil microbes to provide enhanced germination and root development of the plant.
The market report finds that the COVID-19 pandemic positively impacted on the microbial biostimulants market. Health concerns expressed by the majority of people about consuming genetically modified food and the willingness of farmers to adopt organic farming practices to preserve soil nutrients have elevated the market growth during the pandemic period. The rising health concerns regarding consuming genetically modified food and its adverse effects on human immunity and physiology have boosted the market growth during the pandemic crisis.
Increasing awareness among farmers about sustainable and organic fertilizers to improve food quality is a major factor driving market growth. Consumers prefer organic food to avoid health complications caused by toxic elements and genetically modified ingredients. Farmers are increasingly using microbial biostimulants to cultivate high-quality food to reduce health risks.
The easy availability of raw materials is another major factor driving the market growth. Raw materials such as roots, leaves, seeds, fruits, flowers, and stems are required to produce microbial biostimulants. Bio-stimulants have been developed from agricultural by-products by recycling and reducing biological waste. The general consensus regarding the positive outcome of using biostimulants is expected to boost the market growth in the coming years.
The increased purchasing power of the consumer and the rise of a food-conscious society around the world fuel the demand for high-nutritional value food, especially in urban areas. Organic food and beverages have high nutritional value and do not contain toxic materials that are harmful to human health. The farmers are shifting toward organic farming since organic products are in high demand and yield a considerably high proportion of profits.
High reliance of farmers on chemical fertilizers and pesticides to enhance crop and plant productivity hamper market growth. The majority of farmers prefer the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides for convenience and profit. Furthermore, the lack of documented evidence about the efficacy of microbial biostimulants hampers the growth of the market.
The technological advancements in developing microbial biostimulants and the rising acceptance of organic farming practices in the agriculture community create substantial opportunities for market growth during the forecast period. The farmers are gradually adopting organic farming practices as they have identified a significant shift in consumer preference toward organic products. Microbial biostimulants are helping organic farmers to manage crop yield effectively.
The market report includes an assessment of the market, trends, segments, and regional markets. Overview and dynamics have also been included in the report.
Attributes |
Details |
Report Title |
Microbial Biostimulants Market - Global Industry Analysis, Growth, Share, Size, Trends, and Forecast |
Base Year |
2022 |
Historic Data |
2016–2021 |
Forecast Period |
2023–2031 |
Segmentation |
Crop Type (Row Crops, Fruits & Vegetables, Turfs & Ornamentals, Cereals & Grains, Oilseeds & Pulses, and Others), Origin (Synthetic Biostimulants and Natural Biostimulants), Application (Soil Treatment, Seed Treatment, and Foliar Treatment), Form (Dry and Liquid), End-user (Research Organizations, Farmers, and Others), and Distribution Channel (Direct and Indirect) |
Regional Scope |
Asia Pacific, North America, Latin America, Europe, and Middle East & Africa |
Report Coverage |
Company Share, Market Analysis and Size, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends, and Revenue Forecast |
Key Players Covered in the Report |
Bayer AG, BASF SE; Biolchim SPA; VALAGRO S.P.A.; Isagro, Italpollina S.p.A.; Syngenta Crop Protection AG; ADAMA; Koppert; ASL; Haifa Negev technologies LTD; Atlántica Agrícola; Biostadt India Limited; Eastman Chemical Company; Lallemand Inc.; Gowan Company; Rallis India Limited; Novozymes A/S; and Brandt, Inc. |
Based on crop type, the microbial biostimulants market is segmented into row crops, fruits & vegetables, turfs & ornamentals, cereals & grains, oilseeds & pulses, and others. The fruits & vegetables segment is expected to expand at a significant growth rate during the projection period, owing to the huge demand for fruits & vegetables. The cultivation of fruits & vegetables with the help of microbial biostimulants enhances their nutritional value.
The row crops segment is anticipated to grow at a rapid pace during the forecast period. The segment growth is attributed to the increasing demand for row crops such as barley, oats, corn, and soybeans and rising demand for large area of agricultural land for harvesting row crops.
On the basis of origin, the market is bifurcated into synthetic biostimulants and natural biostimulants. The natural biostimulants segment is projected to grow at a substantial pace during the projection period, due to the growing use of easily available organic waste material on agricultural land and the rising popularity of seaweeds as a base material for producing natural biostimulants.
Purified compounds in natural biostimulants such as alginates, polysaccharides, sterols, and hormones are used to improve soil fertility and resiliency to environmental adversities. The conscious use of organic waste material helps farmers in waste management.
In terms of application, the market is segregated into soil treatment, seed treatment, and foliar treatment. The foliar treatment segment is witnessing the fastest growth rate during the projection period, owing to the user convenience and efficacy of foliar treatment. In foliar treatment, the microbial biostimulants are sprayed on the surface of the plants or crops, as it is absorbed immediately through their stomata and epidermis.
Based on form, the market is divided into dry and liquid. The liquid segment is expected to grow at a high CAGR during the assessment period, owing to the excessive use of foliar treatment in organic farming practices. The biostimulants are used in liquid form to spray on the crops and plants.
On the basis of end-user, the market is segmented into research organizations, farmers, and others. The farmers segment is expected to register a robust growth rate during the projected period, due to the rising acceptance of organic farming practices. The segment growth is further attributed to the subsequent use of microbial biostimulants in the cultivation of plants and crops.
In terms of the distribution channel, the market is bifurcated into direct and indirect. The indirect segment is expected to expand at a significant growth rate during the projection period, owing to the strategically located sales channels of microbial biostimulants to provide easy accessibility and convenience. The wide availability of biostimulants at the sales counter is likely to boost segment growth.
In terms of region, the global microbial biostimulants market is classified as Asia Pacific, North America, Latin America, Europe, and Middle East & Africa. Europe is expected to dominate the market during the forecast period, owing to the rising awareness about health and well-being and subsequent demand for organic food. Farmers are adopting organic farming practices in the region to fulfill the food and nutritional supplement demands. The increasing demand for organic dry fruit snacks and organic virgin coconut oil is mainly attributed to consumer concerns about the adverse effect on human health and the environment.
The market in Asia Pacific is projected to grow at a rapid pace in the coming years, owing to changes in the dietary patterns of people and the increasing usage of biostimulants in farming practices. The factors such as the willingness of consumers to buy organic food and awareness about the well-being of the people are associated with the market growth in the region.
“According to the Standard & Poor (S&P), a credit rating agency, Europe holds around 38% of global sales of biostimulants in 2022. However, Asia Pacific held around 27% of sales and accounted for the second largest market across the globe.”
The microbial biostimulants market has been segmented on the basis of
Key players competing in the global microbial biostimulants market are Bayer AG, BASF SE; Biolchim SPA; VALAGRO S.P.A.; Isagro, Italpollina S.p.A.; Syngenta Crop Protection AG; ADAMA; Koppert; ASL; Haifa Negev technologies LTD; Atlántica Agrícola; Biostadt India Limited; Eastman Chemical Company; Lallemand Inc.; Gowan Company; Rallis India Limited; Novozymes A/S; and Brandt, Inc.
These players are actively adopting developmental strategies including mergers, acquisitions, partnerships, collaboration, product launches, and production expansion to expand their consumer base worldwide. For instance,
In February 2023, Bayer partnered with Kimitec to accelerate the development of integrated crop management solutions by providing a variety of biostimulants in an organized way to its consumers. Kimitec has been operating the MAAVi, the largest biotechnology innovation hub in Europe facilitating natural molecule discovery operations to develop various kinds of biostimulants.
LINNA, an artificial intelligence platform of Kimitech plays a key role in identifying the potential molecules that enhance the discovery of natural molecules to be integrated into biostimulants for maximizing efficacy. The biostimulants can be tested at field testing resources owned by Bayer.
In September 2022, Syngenta collaborated with Bioceres Crop Solutions to provide sustainable innovations to manage pest resistance and improve seed health. Organic farmers can enhance the nutrient value of the crops while reducing agriculture’s environmental footprint. The biostimulants developed by Syngenta improve the abiotic stress tolerance of the plants by improving their physiological functioning.