Written by James Bryan, Sales Agronomist, Holmes Agro
With rising costs and tight margins, it may not feel like the right time to experiment with new products. Still, biologicals have been gaining attention over the last few years, and for good reason. While the benefits aren’t always as obvious as a fungicide or fertility program, some products are showing real promise. The best way to find out? On-farm trials.
What Are Biologicals?
Biologicals are naturally derived products that use living organisms—or their byproducts—to support crop growth and protection. They generally fall into three groups:
- Microbial inoculants (e.g., rhizobia, mycorrhizal fungi and plant growth-promoting bacteria)
- Biostimulants (e.g., seaweed extracts, amino acids, humic substances)
- Biocontrols (e.g., beneficial fungi or bacteria that suppress pests or diseases)
Unlike fertilizers or pesticides, biologicals often work indirectly—by stimulating root growth, improving nutrient uptake, or activating natural plant defenses.
Why Consider Biologicals?
- Improved nutrient use efficiency
- Certain microbes help unlock nutrients making them more available to plants
- Better root development & soil health
- Mycorrhizal fungi extend root systems, improving access to water and nutrients; over time, they also contribute to soil structure and long-term productivity
- Stress tolerance & resilience
- Biostimulants can help crops handle stresses like drought, salinity, or temperature swings by priming natural defense pathways
Start With a Problem, Not a Product
When evaluating biologicals, don’t buy a product and then go looking for a problem. Instead, identify an agronomic challenge on your farm and match the biological tool to that need.
On-farm trials are the best way to evaluate performance. Leave check strips or split fields, and make sure you record where those trials are.
Holmes Agro Wheat Trial Results
This past season, Holmes Agro ran a winter wheat trial with two biologicals:
- YieldON (Syngenta) is a foliar biostimulant that improves nutrient movement in the plant, applied with the T3 fungicide
- PowerCoat is a fertilizer-applied plant growth–promoting rhizobacteria that improves nutrient uptake
- Both products can be applied during regular passes, so no extra application costs
Results:
- Standard management + 2 fungicide passes = baseline
- PowerCoat treated fertilizer = +12 bu/ac
- PowerCoat + YieldON = +16 bu/ac
The PowerCoat results outperformed Mosaic’s claimed response. Both results show strong potential for positive returns when integrated into good management. This was one farm, one trial—not a reason to apply biologicals on every acre just yet.
Bottom Line
Biologicals aren’t a replacement for agronomic basics like drainage, pH and fertility. If the choice is between a proven fungicide and an untested biological, stick with the proven technology. For farm businesses curious about what’s next, biologicals represent an opportunity to test new tools and push yield potential.
If you’re interested in trying biologicals on your farm, talk with your agronomist or local retailer about which products may fit your cropping system.