Yara North America has introduced two biostimulant solutions in the US market, strengthening its portfolio of technologies designed to improve nutrient-use efficiency and crop performance under challenging growing conditions. The products, PROCOTE OPTIMIZE and OPTITRAC, are designed to complement conventional crop nutrition programmes by helping growers improve nutrient availability, manage environmental stress and derive greater productivity from fertiliser investments.
Their commercial introduction follows more than a decade of research and development, extensive multi-year global trials and four years of field evaluations across different crops and growing conditions in the US. The launch reflects a broader shift in agricultural inputs towards integrated nutrition strategies, in which biological solutions are increasingly positioned alongside conventional fertilisers to improve crop performance and input efficiency.
Targeting phosphorus efficiency and nutrient availability
PROCOTE OPTIMIZE is a biostimulant coating applied to fertiliser granules to improve phosphorus availability. The technology is designed to protect applied phosphorus while helping plants access phosphorus that is otherwise tied up in the soil. The coating is applied directly to fertiliser granules by retailers, enabling more uniform distribution through the company's proprietary coating technology.
US field trials across multiple crops reported returns on investment of 6:1 in corn and 7:1 in potatoes. These results point to the potential economic value of improving phosphorus efficiency, although actual outcomes will depend on soil conditions, crop requirements and farm-level management practices. Phosphorus availability remains a significant consideration in crop nutrition, as a proportion of applied nutrients can become less accessible to plants depending on soil characteristics. Technologies that improve nutrient accessibility could help growers make more effective use of existing fertiliser applications.
Foliar biostimulant targets crop stress
The second solution, OPTITRAC, is a liquid biostimulant applied through foliar spraying. It is designed to help crops manage abiotic stress, particularly during periods when environmental conditions place additional demands on plant growth and development. Field trials across North America recorded reported returns on investment of 15:1 in potatoes and 3:1 in wheat.
Abiotic stresses, including heat, drought and other adverse environmental conditions, can affect crop development and productivity. Foliar-applied biostimulants are increasingly being explored as complementary tools to support crop performance during such periods. Gustavo Roelants, senior biologicals portfolio manager at Yara North America, said the company's approach was to develop biological solutions that work within broader crop nutrition programmes rather than position them as standalone inputs.
He said the portfolio was designed to help crops use nutrients more efficiently, maintain more consistent performance under stress and improve returns on fertiliser investments.
Integrated nutrition strategy drives biologicals expansion
Yara's latest launch underscores its strategy to combine conventional crop nutrition expertise with biological technologies to address productivity and profitability challenges. Jeff Hartz, vice-president of strategic marketing at Yara North America, said biologicals offered opportunities to advance agricultural productivity and improve grower profitability. He added that the company's understanding of crop nutrition could help integrate biological solutions into existing nutrient management programmes.
The commercial availability of the two products in the US marks another step in the company's effort to develop integrated nutritional and productivity solutions for growers.
As agriculture faces mounting pressure to improve input efficiency, manage climate-related stress and sustain yields, the role of biologicals is likely to be shaped by their ability to demonstrate consistent field performance and measurable economic benefits alongside established crop nutrition practices. For Yara, the challenge will be to translate trial results into broader grower adoption and demonstrate that integrated biological and fertiliser programmes can deliver reliable returns across different crops, soils and production systems.
