• Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan chaired a meeting with senior officials from the ministry and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) regarding the sale of biostimulants.

• He emphasized the need for ICAR to evaluate biostimulants to uphold the trust of farmers and ensure their technical usefulness. 

• He pointed out that for several years, around 30,000 biostimulant products were being sold unchecked. Even in the last four years, around 8,000 products were in circulation.

• The minister directed the officials to prepare a standard operating procedure (SOP) by setting rules and regulations.

• The government will take action against suspicious manufacturers of biostimulants, he noted.

What are biostimulants?

• Biostimulant means a substance or microorganism or a combination of both whose primary function when applied to plants, seeds or rhizosphere is to naturally stimulate physiological processes in plants and to enhance its nutrient uptake, growth, yield, nutrition efficiency, crop quality and tolerance to stress.

• Currently, there is a comprehensive regulatory framework for biostimulants through amendments to the Fertiliser (Inorganic, Organic or Mixed) (Control) Order, 1985 (FCO), with recent updates in 2024 and 2025.

Nine categories of bio-stimulants have been included in the FCO:

1) Botanical extracts, including seaweed extracts

2) Bio-chemicals

3) Protein hydrolysates and amino acids

4) Vitamins

5) Cell free microbial products

6) Antioxidants

7) Anti-transpirants

8) Humic and Fulvic acid and their derivatives

9) Live micro-organisms excluding bio-fertilizers and bio-pesticides

• In case of a new biostimulant, the manufacturer is required to make an application with chemistry, bio-efficacy, toxicology, heavy metals, pesticides data etc.

• The pesticide limit has been increased from 0.01 ppm to 1 ppm.

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