BASF to incorporate seaweed biostimulants for agriculture

BASF announced on Tuesday that it has teamed up with Acadian Plant Health, a division of Acadian Seaplants Ltd, to enhance its range of climate-resilient agricultural solutions. 

The Ludwigshafen, Germany-based chemicals giant has signed an agreement to expand its BioSolutions portfolio by incorporating Ascophyllum nodosum seaweed biostimulants from Acadian, a marine plant harvesting and extraction company based in Dartmouth, Canada.

BASF stated, "This partnership with Acadian Plant Health will allow us to leverage their innovative biostimulant technology to enhance our biological portfolio, broaden product availability in new markets, and develop solutions for sustainably improving crop yields."

Biostimulants are substances or microorganisms that can be applied to plants or soil to boost crop growth, enhance stress resilience, and sustain marketable yields. They serve as complementary tools in conventional agriculture, assisting growers in meeting food retailers' demands for high-quality produce.

Before this partnership, BASF distributed seaweed biostimulant products across Europe and China and is now seeking to introduce them to new markets.

Moving forward, the two companies will collaborate to expand the global distribution of a newly developed and patented abiotic stress management portfolio.