Leading the way in bringing bio-stimulants to mainstream production
UK bio-technology company celebrates ten-year anniversary
From challenging the early misconceptions of the efficacy of bio-stimulants, to leading the way in providing ecologically beneficial, biological solutions to both conventional and organic growers, UK biological company AminoA Bio-stimulants is this month celebrating its 10-year anniversary in the UK market.
Harnessing the potential of plants to unlock yield potential, increase resistance to stress and to help reduce environmental impacts, AminoA has helped growers both in the UK and worldwide to boost yields, improve quality and in doing so increase profits across all crops and grassland.
“Bio-stimulants are now becoming mainstream inputs, regulated worldwide, and suitable for use in all crops, from cereals to proteins, soft and top fruits to grassland,” explains Richard Phillips, AminoA managing director.
“Moreover, they can provide yield, performance and quality benefits, while helping reduce carbon footprints and overall input spend on expensive agrochemicals.”
Combining environmental benefits with timely applications of biological crop stimulants can also boost profitability, by reducing crop damage or losses.
For over a decade, AminoA has led the way in bringing biological solutions into mainstream production, supported by replicated and farm-level trial work with some of the leading agronomy research bodies and institutes in the industry.
“Basically, all plants are amino acid production factories, they all have to synthesise amino acids. What we do as a company, is break down proteins into amino acids, that the farmer can then apply to the crop,” explains Mr Phillips.
“What that means is, that if you apply amino acids to a crop that is struggling, is under stress and having difficulty growing, it will be able to achieve more growth, with the same amount of moisture and nutrients.
“A plant has to produce amino acids all the way through its growth cycle. Our products include 18 amino acids, and it is a little bit like giving the plant the toolbox and saying, ‘I don’t know whether you need a saw, a screwdriver or a hammer today, but there is something in there that you can use’,” he adds.
This means that at every stage, the plant will extract amino acids that can help it grow, and it also makes the agrochemicals in the mix, more efficient.
Indeed, cost challenges and the availability of fertiliser and other inputs are often the main concern for growers, given the ongoing market volatility, alongside growing pressure to reduce carbon footprints. AminoA products can help drive efficiencies to help limit that impact.
“It is about how biological products can help reduce the speed of disease development, as well as boost yields and quality. It is about understanding all elements of the growing process, from soil health to disease resistance to the interaction between biological solutions and agrochemicals,” says Mr Phillips.
“Properly formulated bio-stimulants can reduce grower costs and improve profits, as well as reducing the environmental impact of agrochemicals,” he adds.
More recently, two of its flagship products, AminoA FLO and AminoA BLAAZT have received EU Fertilizing Product Registration (FPR), meaning the products comply with the environmental and safety requirements of the new legislation and can be marketed within the EU. Applications for registration are currently being made for the seed treatment AminoA STAART.
Having overcome the logistical challenges following Brexit, AminoA is now developing its European business again, as well as operations in worldwide markets. It has recently signed an agreement for distribution of its products in China, has an agreement with a master distributor in Turkey and is in the process of entering the market in India.
Trials are currently being conducted in Kazakhstan, with plans to enter the market in 2025.
Back in the UK, AminoA has been responding to what has been another challenging period for many growers across the country.
“We are farmers ourselves, and this has been an extreme season, with something like one a half times our usual rainfall. Seeing our customers this spring was more like doing therapy than making sales or talking about crop management,” explains Mr Phillips.
“What we do know is, that we have the tools in the box that can help, whether that is providing resistance for waterlogged crops, to stress by cold, heat, drought and agrochemical phytotoxicity.
“We have also introduced Flynn, our multi-lingual AI chatbot, fully trained on our technical dossier, and able to give advice on crop nutrition matters and our products in any language. We are very proud that ten years down the line, we are still introducing new solutions to support the industry in a sustainable way,” he concludes.