The AgriThority® team traveled to Barcelona to attend the 2025 Biostimulants World Congress. It was a great week connecting with the scientific community about the future of biostimulants.
Attendance was strong, with many companies operating across international markets well represented. In response to the current challenges of the agricultural industry, most companies appear to be focusing on their current core markets and postponing investments as they navigate a difficult year. Despite this cautious approach, optimism is growing that the global agriculture sector will see improvement in 2026.
Across presentations, panels and conversations at the conference, seven key trends emerged.
- Growing global biostimulant market but ready for consolidation: The global biostimulant market continues to expand but is becoming crowded with similar products. Differentiation is now essential, and the sector appears to be ripe for consolidation.
- Biostimulant companies are benefiting from the new EU regulation, with several registering products under this updated framework.
- Stronger push for demonstrating clear modes of action (MoA): The industry is moving toward rigorous scientific justification of how biostimulants work. Regulators and investors now expect precise MoA explanations backed by robust laboratory and field data.
- RNA-based biostimulants are on the rise: RNA technologies, particularly plant-derived microRNAs, are emerging as the next frontier. Early movers, such as Valagro, are demonstrating leadership by developing miRNA-based products in partnership with Mirnagreen, a global leader in plant microRNAs However, production costs remain high.
- Growing demand for high-quality field data: Regulators, growers, and investors want robust, multi-location field trials. Small, inconsistent yield gains or selective positive results are increasingly no longer sufficient to convince farmers to use products. AgriThority® Global Director, Science and Technology Ignacio Colonna added to this trend in his presentation to the Science Track on “Benchmarking Biostimulants Improves Successful Development.”
“At this time, the credibility of commercial claims is of critical importance in defining the future of a new input technology – dubious or biased data may generate a domino effect on similar products, thus hurting the commercial advancement of an entire product class,” Colonna said.
- Digital tools are reshaping how biostimulant efficacy trials are performed: Sensors, satellite imagery, multispectral drones, and advanced analytics and AI-powered imaging, are becoming standard in biostimulant efficacy trial design, improving accuracy and reducing noise from field variability.
- Understanding plant–microbe interactions is key: The soil microbiome remains a high-interest area, but outcomes are often unpredictable. Understanding these interactions better will be critical to developing consistently effective products.
When your new biocontrol technology is ready for product development, turn to AgriThority® for strategic and scientific expertise. Our global footprint is combined with our deep understanding of agricultural business, regulatory demands, market channels and producer dynamics. We help move your innovation from concept to commercial adoption.
