Plant Biostimulants and Growth Regulators in Sustainable Agriculture

As agriculture faces increasing pressure from climate change, soil degradation, and the overuse of synthetic inputs, this volume presents innovative and practical approaches that promote resilient and sustainable crop production systems. It explores how plant biostimulants and growth regulators are transforming modern agriculture by improving crop productivity, enhancing soil fertility, and supporting long-term environmental sustainability.

Organized into five sections, the book provides a comprehensive overview of plant biostimulants, growth regulators, and their regulatory frameworks for commercialization. The chapters examine a wide range of biostimulants, including humic and fulvic acids, biochar, chitosan and nanoparticulate chitosan, triacontanol, fish by-products, and fungal-based biostimulants. Production systems, applications, and emerging technologies are discussed in detail, highlighting their roles in improving crop growth, nutrient efficiency, and stress tolerance.

The volume further addresses the production and application of biochar for carbon sequestration and soil fertility enhancement, along with the use of agro-food and industrial by-products in developing growth-promoting biostimulants. Additional chapters explore plant growth regulators in abiotic stress management, bioactive compound production, and the expanding role of nanomaterials in agriculture as nanofertilizers, nanobiofertilizers, and nano-biostimulants. The rapid growth of the global market for plant growth regulators in horticulture and sustainable farming is also examined.