What is a biostimulant?
A biostimulant is a product – a substance, an extract or a micro-organism – that stimulates the plant’s own processes. Its value is not the nutrients it contains, but what it helps the plant do: take up and use nutrients more efficiently, tolerate heat, drought and transplant stress, and set and fill a better crop.
Common groups include seaweed and algal extracts, protein hydrolysates and amino acids, humic and fulvic substances, beneficial microbes, and plant metabolite-based technologies. Many modern products combine several of these.
How biostimulants are regulated in India
India brought biostimulants under the Fertiliser (Control) Order, 1985 through a 2021 amendment, with a dedicated schedule for biostimulant specifications and registration. For farmers and dealers this means one simple check: buy biostimulants from companies that market them in line with the Fertiliser (Control) Order, with clear labels, doses and batch details.
Where biostimulants fit in the crop cycle
| Stage | What the crop needs | Verdesian option |
|---|---|---|
| Seed | Fast, uniform emergence and early vigour | Seed 100 CL, SDM, Take Off ST |
| Nursery | Healthy seedlings, less transplant and herbicide shock | Nursery+ |
| Vegetative growth | Nutrient uptake, photosynthesis, stress tolerance | Crop+ – 250 ml per acre |
| Flowering & fruit set | Flowering, fruit set and fruit size | primacyALPHA® – 400 ml per acre |
How to choose a biostimulant company in India
- Compliance: products marketed in line with the Fertiliser (Control) Order, with clear labels and batch details.
- Evidence: field-trial results on Indian farms, compared against the farmer’s own practice.
- Track record: a company that has served Indian growers through many seasons, not just one.
- Science: a clear explanation of how the product works – and patents or published research behind it.
- Agronomy support: people in your state who can recommend a dose and timing for your crop.
Verdesian and Cytozyme in India
Cytozyme Laboratories was founded in 1975 and has served Indian agriculture since 1984. Since 2021 Cytozyme has been part of Verdesian Life Sciences, the US company known as the Nutrient Use Efficiency People®, with a portfolio of more than 300 patented technologies. In 2023 Verdesian received the Global Leadership Award in Biostimulants and NUE Solutions at BioAg India.
Read the full Cytozyme legacy and India timeline, see trial reports, or talk to the agronomist for your state.
Frequently asked questions
What is a biostimulant?
A biostimulant is a substance or micro-organism applied to plants, seeds or soil that stimulates natural plant processes – improving nutrient uptake, nutrient use efficiency, tolerance to abiotic stress, or crop quality – independent of its own nutrient content.
Are biostimulants regulated in India?
Yes. Biostimulants were brought under the Fertiliser (Control) Order, 1985 through an amendment in 2021, with a dedicated schedule setting out specifications and registration requirements for biostimulant products.
How long has Cytozyme / Verdesian been in India?
Cytozyme, founded in 1975, has served Indian agriculture since 1984. Cytozyme became part of Verdesian Life Sciences in 2021, and Verdesian Life Sciences Asia now markets both portfolios in India.
Which Verdesian biostimulants are available in India?
Crop+ (a multi-stage fermentation product with blended minerals, 250 ml per acre), primacyALPHA® (400 ml per acre) and Nursery+ for nurseries. Verdesian also offers seed treatments, fertilizer enhancers and nutrients that work alongside them.
How should I choose a biostimulant company?
Look for products marketed in line with the Fertiliser (Control) Order, clear dose and stage recommendations, published field-trial results from Indian farms, a long track record, and agronomists who can support you in the field.