Plant bio-stimulants, their functions and use in enhancing stress tolerance in oilseeds

Abstract

The bio-stimulants are a wide range of products that includes formulations of microbial inoculants, biochemicals amino acid derivatives, humic acids, seaweed extracts. As per the European Bio-stimulants Industry Council (EBIC), the Plant bio-stimulants contain substance(s) or microorganisms whose function is to stimulate natural processes to enhance nutrient uptake and its efficiency, tolerance to abiotic stress, and crop quality. The biochemical plant bio-stimulants, including protein hydrolysates, seaweed extracts, and humic acids collectively account for over 50% share of the bio-stimulants market in Europe and are valued periodically for billion dollars (https://www.agricen.com/agricultural-biostimulants). The present oilseeds sector, particularly in Asian and African countries is facing challenges in sustaining the rapidly growing population with finite amount of natural resources. As a result, the inputs in oilseeds crop are increasingly being acknowledged for their efficiencies to enhance yields and quality, maintain sustainability benefits of improved soil health and nutrient utilization (DGR, 2018, 2019). The use of bio-stimulants has come up as a key performance indicator for improved nutrient management, yields and quality to reduce the other need for increasing production as well as cultivated area under oilseeds.