Valent BioSciences Ushers in the Next Generation of Biostimulants

Valent BioSciences is a worldwide leader in the research, development and commercialization of highly effective, low-risk, environmentally compatible technologies and solutions for the agricultural, public health and forest health markets. We are renowned for our innovation, best-in-class quality in manufacturing, product performance and consistency and fully developed portfolio of sustainable biorational solutions. Valent BioSciences has rapidly growing sales in an estimated 95 countries around the world and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Chemical Company, a global leader in developing creative solutions for health and crop science.

Valent BioSciences’ strategic intent is to become the industry's leading provider of biological inputs by delivering the most innovative and trusted solutions to increase our customers' return on investment and profitability.

With its mission to reimagine agriculture and public health through the power of fermentation and microbiology, and with 60 years of crop enhancement experience fueling its success, Valent BioSciences has recently created a biostimulant-focused business unit to advance our competitiveness in the biorational market. 

What are biorationals? 

″Biorationals″ is an umbrella term that includes all biologically-derived products in our portfolio of solutions. Biorationals are low-impact solutions that provide sustainable and effective management tools for use in the agriculture, public health and forest health segments. 

In agricultural systems, our biorational solutions maximize quality, productivity and sustainability while accommodating evolving consumer preferences, environmental stewardship and public policy, both in the near- and long-term. For public health and forest health systems, biorationals enable safe and effective control of damaging pests.

Sumitomo Chemical foresaw the tremendous potential of the biorational business when it created Valent BioSciences in 2000. The business fits well with Sumitomo Chemical’s focus on innovation and developing solutions that create and deliver value, as well as a dedication to corporate social value and fostering a more sustainable future. The potential for biorationals is bright, and Valent BioSciences intends to continue growing and innovating in order to deliver effective solutions to growers around the world.

Valent BioSciences offers sustainable biorational technologies that fall into many crop input product categories, including:

• Biorational crop protection products, including biofungicides, bioinsecticides, and bionematicides

• Plant growth regulators

• Technologies to enhance soil health and carbon capture

• Microbial seed treatments

• Biostimulants

Biostimulants Provide Next-Generation Crop Enhancement Tools

One of the fastest growing segments for Valent BioSciences’ business, and for the industry in general, is biostimulants. As an emerging category of crop enhancement tools, innovative and effective biostimulants are important to the future productivity of the agricultural market. 

While growers are experiencing increasing food and fiber demand for a growing population, surging input costs, a rising number of serious climate-related weather events and enhanced regulations, they are also encountering an increasingly discerning consumer base that demands sustainably grown food and products. As a result, the pressure for growers to maximize their production has never been higher. 

Biostimulants enable growers to sustainably improve crop performance, efficiency and ROI while equipping their crops to be more tolerant of external stressors. 

According to the European Biostimulants Industry Council (EBIC), biostimulants contain substances or microorganisms that function to stimulate natural processes to enhance/benefit nutrient uptake, nutrient efficiency and tolerance to abiotic stress and crop quality, independent of the crop’s nutrient content. EBIC maintains that biostimulants contribute to sustainability by:

• Increasing quality and yield

• Boosting crop resilience

• Reducing nutrient losses

• Improving the food chain

• Enhancing water conservation

As the benefits of biostimulants become more widely known, growers are becoming more adoptive of biostimulants in their operations according to recent data from market research studies completed in the U.S. and Canada. A study completed by Stratus Research Group found that 23 percent of U.S. corn, soybean and wheat growers and 23 percent of Canadian growers reported using one or more biostimulants in 2022. N-fixing biologicals topped the list of biostimulant products used during 2022, followed by beneficial bacteria or fungi. 

A separate study shines light on the reason why growers are becoming more open to using biostimulants. In a recent study completed by Stratovation Group in the U.S., 59 percent of respondents were aware of the biostimulants category, and according to data, their interest in the category is driven by a need for improved yields and a decrease in fertilizer expenses. 

Valent BioSciences Biostimulants

In 2022, Valent BioSciences launched a new business unit focused on the growing global biostimulants market. This operating unit was created to help our company’s experts partner more closely with retailers, trusted advisors and our mutual grower customers to optimize their biostimulant investment. 

Understanding that biostimulants can be challenging to harness to their full potential, Valent BioSciences is committed to helping customers achieve success and maximize their ROI on every acre. In addition to providing local on-the-ground expertise via an experienced technical team, during early 2023, the company hosted a series of educational webinars dedicated to helping retailers and growers understand best practices around biostimulant usage.

Several months ago, Valent BioSciences announced the acquisition of FBSciences Holdings, Inc., a recognized leader in the $3.5 billion global biostimulant market. The acquisition of FBSciences creates significant benefits for all stakeholders, allowing the organization to bring more sustainable solutions and technologies to a greater number of customers around the world. 

The FBSciences product line complements the Valent BioSciences portfolio, enhancing the diverse range of solutions currently being offered to customers. In addition to the current commercial synergies, the combination of Valent BioSciences’ world-class research in crop enhancement and rhizosphere biology and FBSciences’ expertise in biostimulants and plant nutrition further enables our pursuit of new, leading-edge innovations.

Valent BioSciences’ and FBSciences’ values and business philosophies align closely, with both companies focused on creating economic value through their business activities while benefiting society and safeguarding the environment.

Future Outlook

As the biostimulant market continues to grow, Valent BioSciences looks forward to helping usher in the next generation of biostimulant innovations for growers around the world. The company will do so by exploring exciting new opportunities through organic growth, acquisitions and collaborations with key partners.

Going forward, the biostimulant market will be key to Valent BioSciences’ strategic intent for future business and industry growth. Leveraging its strength in the growing biostimulants market will allow Valent BioSciences to continue generating new sustainable solutions for customers around the world. 

This article was originally published in the magazine 2023 Biologicals Special.