Reduction of greenhouse gases in the agricultural sector through the use of biostimulants in cultivated soil

Partnership with: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, CRIBIQ, CÉROM, Biopterre, Olds College, UdeM/UQO

The use of biostimulants in agriculture makes it possible to significantly reduce fertilizer use while maintaining equivalent crop performance. Indeed, biostimulants are environmentally friendly, non-polluting products, and their use can reduce NPK fertilizer use by 25% to 35%, resulting in substantial cost savings.

This would make it possible to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with the use of fossil-based fertilizers by the same proportion. This project aligns with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s objectives of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 11 megatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.

Biostimulants are bioproducts derived from forest or agricultural biomass residues processed through pyrolysis, a green process developed by Pyrovac Inc.

The specific objectives of the project are to:

Test the agronomic performance of biostimulants on vegetable and cereal crops.
Assess the beneficial impact of biostimulants in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Study the metabolic processes through which biostimulants affect plants.

This project is being carried out in collaboration with four agronomic research centres, bringing together a range of expertise in experimental trials and targeting a broad spectrum of crops across Canada, from Quebec to the Canadian Prairies.

More specifically, the project will involve:

Conducting greenhouse and field trials on vegetable crops, oilseed crops, and cereals.
Testing under various conditions, including abiotic stress, drought, low-fertility soils, degraded soils, and other challenging growing conditions.
Comparing biostimulant performance with that of commercially available fertilizers.
Investigating and understanding the physical and biochemical mechanisms involved in the use of biostimulants, including their effects on plant growth, plant physiology, and soil health.
Measuring and assessing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Quantifying GHG emission reductions associated with the life cycle of biostimulants and the reduced use of chemical fertilizers, in accordance with ISO 14064.