Biostimulants: from overlooked to essential in modern agriculture

After graduating as an Agricultural Technical Engineer, I embarked on my first job with the mission of finding value in a protein hydrolysate derived from intestinal mucosa following the extraction of heparin.

My agronomic knowledge, the excitement of a first job and the dedication of a team motivated by challenge led us to create the first enzymatic hydrolysis amino acid-based product, developed by an unknown company and with an application method (root/localised fertigation) that no one else was using.

At the time, the market viewed it as an unconvincing treatment, low in concentration (4% free amino acids), promoted by an unfamiliar company in the agricultural sector.

Through substantial investment in scientific development and the outstanding effects of its application, this approach gradually gained traction in Spain. Still, terms like amino acids or bioestimulant were often met with scepticism and doubt.

Thanks to the product’s strong impact and our team’s hard work, we managed to secure a notable position for biostimulants in Spain and, eventually, in over 85 countries. In fact, we helped establish root application as one of the most effective methods for products of this kind.

Now, almost 40 years later, the landscape is entirely transformed. The term biostimulant has become a leading category in modern agriculture, an essential product range that everyone must have.

Major multinationals in the sector, once indifferent to these products, have now made them a priority in their portfolios.

Legislation has evolved, too, creating a new category that pointedly adopts the term “biostimulant”.

Personally, I am not at all surprised by these developments. Those of us who have dedicated our professional lives to this technology understand the deserved recognition for this effective crop treatment.

But not all products are effective, not all are useful and not all deliver the same results. Amino acid-based products should be applied specifically for targeted problems. This is why, alongside the entire Horizon team, I felt the need to develop AKAX® Core technology.

AKAX® Core is a biological matrix based on amino acids and other compounds obtained through a specialised enzymatic hydrolysis of porcine intestinal mucosa. We are convinced that AKAX® Core is set to mark a new era and to modestly advance this exciting market space.

I invite you to explore our cutting-edge plant in Spain and the range of biostimulants and bionutrients we have launched to sustainably enhance crop health and performance.