Our third guide will be on how to place microbial biostimulants on the Brazilian market. While we are preparing this, here's where you can sneak a peak into what you will find in the upcoming guide book:

In Brazil, biofertilisers and biostimulants are not defined the same way as in Europe and here, things become really interesting, when looking at things from a “European” angle and the definitions set at European level.

The definition of a biostimulant under the European Fertiliser Regulation is as follows:

“Products stimulating plant nutrition processes independently of the product’s nutrient content with the sole aim of improving one or more of the following characteristics of the plant or the plant rhizosphere:

- nutrient use efficiency;

- tolerance to abiotic stress;

- quality traits;

- availability of confined nutrients in soil or rhizosphere.”

As regards to “biofertilisers”, there is not yet a clear or harmonized legal definition at European level under European legislation, and there is no clear regulatory framework as regards to “biofertilisers”.

In contrast, In Brazil, things are very clearly defined:

Biofertilisers are products that=

“contain natural substances that are applied to help their metabolism, their growth, to develop their root system, flowering and fruiting, as well as the development of fruits and grains. Furthermore, they are applied to help plants, soil or seed to overcome difficult or even extreme conditions of stress caused by drought, salinity, heat, etc.”

It is important to mention that in Brazil, the term “biostimulant” does not exist at this point in time. . In contrast, Brazilian legislation is more specific, in the sense that:

- products containing nitrogen-fixing or growth-producing microorganisms are called inoculants (inoculantes). These, under most European legislative frameworks, would be called either “biostimulants” or “Pflanzenhilfsmittel” under the German and Austrian legislative framework.

- Products that contain microorganisms that improve the physical, physical-chemical properties or biological activities of the soil are biological soil conditioners (condicionadores biológicos de solo). This term also exists under European legislative frameworks.

- Products aimed at controlling a population of pathogenic microorganisms are called biological control agents (agentes biológicos de controle). This is also the case under European legislative frameworks - as soon as there is control or action on biotic stresses, the product is considered a plant protection product - be it “biological” or not.

- Those that contain plant extracts and that aim to control pathogens or diseases are agricultural pesticides ( defensivos agrícolas). Because they are of plant origin, they can be called "biocontrol products” **( biodefensivos). These, both “biological control agents” and “biocontrol products”, under European legislation, would be dealt with under Regulation 1107/2009 as plant protection products.

In this series of guides about the legislation of “biostimulants” in Brazil we will therefore focus on the following product types:

- biofertilisers

- inoculants (including biostimulants based on microorganisms)

- soil conditioners

As these represent the group generally called “biostimulants”, usually dealt with under any fertiliser legislation.

The first guidebook on for Brazil is intended to be released end of January.