Researching and communicating the benefits of phosphite as a biostimulant in crops to benefit farmers across Europe.
The Phosphite Biostimulant Stewardship Group (PBSG) was created by a group of like-minded biostimulant manufacturers. Our aim is to persuade the European regulators to allow the continued use of phosphite as a biostimulant, enabling subsequent EU registration under biostimulant regulations.
Phosphite has been used as a biostimulant for many years. It is a well-established, cost effective, proven technology used by farmers across Europe on a wide range of crops. The PBSG has collaborated with the University of Nottingham and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) to research the mode of action of phosphite as a biostimulant.
The new EC fertilising product regulation EC 2019/1009, which was implemented in July 2022, is ground-breaking for our industry in that it includes Biostimulants as a category of its own. Yet, during the procedure that led to the approval of the regulation, phosphite was specifically excluded from the possible components of fertiliser products. We accept the position that phosphite has no direct nutritional value and that it is registered as an active ingredient under EC1107/2009 for plant protection products. However, as a substance with dual use potential in separate fertilising and plant protection products, it is not unique and should therefore not be excluded.
Our position is that phosphite has a scientifically proven mode of action and has been demonstrated over many years to be an effective biostimulant with an important agronomic input across a wide range of crops in European countries. Phosphite is now one of the most researched and consistently performing biostimulants on the market today and should continue to be accessible to growers in the future.
The PBSG is funded by its members and focuses on generating and communicating scientific evidence of phosphite’s efficacy as a biostimulant in order to retain its use for the benefit of European farmers. For more information on our work or to provide support for our aims, please contact us.
Phosphite, used as a biostimulant, encourages root development and improves nitrogen assimilation. It can be applied as a seed treatment or a foliar application and is readily absorbed and translocated to the roots.
Research has been undertaken by the University of Nottingham and Kiel University in Germany, using a systematic approach involving a combination of cell biology, plant physiology, biochemistry and X ray imaging techniques. Scientists have been working on two possible modes of action:
Tests on two key agricultural crops, wheat and oilseed rape, showed that phosphite treatment improves the crop’s nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) which has a positive impact on yield (Verreet (2019) top agrar 8/2019, 56-60). The effects of phosphite appears to be more pronounced under stress conditions (Mohammed et al (2019) 4th Biostimulant Congress, Barcelona).
The research showed that phosphite, when applied at low doses, provides a low input, cost-effective way to enhance root architecture. Tested across a range of crops, biomass typically increased by 30%. Kiel University has identified a strong economic case for phosphites as biostimulants, with treatment improving both yield and farm income.
More details of research into the use of phosphite as a biostimulant can be found in the University of Nottingham White Paper and the University of Kiel White Paper.
The University of Nottingham, funded by the BBSRC and supported by the PBSG, has published its peer-reviewed research into the biostimulant function of phosphite in the scientific journal, Frontiers in Plant Science. Further economic evidence of the value of phosphite has been published in our news section, including aggregated trials data from PBSG members which demonstrates the contribution phosphite makes to agricultural productivity.
For more information on our work or to provide support for our aims, please contact us by email or follow us on LinkedIn.