Beyond Biostimulants:

A New Way to Think About Soil Functions

Regenerative agriculture has moved from a niche discussion to a mainstream priority. Global food companies are committing billions to improving soil health, lowering emissions and stabilising supply chains. Farmers, too, are under pressure to manage nutrients more efficiently, build resilience into rotations and deal with increasingly erratic weather. Yet, despite all this momentum, one area remains murky: the role of biological inputs. The term “biostimulant” has been stretched so widely that it now covers everything from seaweed extracts to microbial consortia to sugar-based foliar sprays. No wonder farmers, advisers and supply-chain managers alike are asking: where do biological inputs actually fit in modern agriculture, and how do we separate what works from what simply sounds good?

The answer starts with a simple truth: farms are not short of biology. Walk into any field, whether conventionally managed or fully regenerative, and the soil contains vast populations of microbes and fungi. What many fields lack is not “more biology” but better biological function. Nutrients become locked in chemical forms that crops cannot access. Soil structure tightens under repeated stress or heavy magnesium levels. Oxygen drops, especially after wet periods or over-cultivation. Organic residues linger far too long, tying up nitrogen and delaying the next crop. And synthetic nitrogen — expensive, variable and increasingly scrutinised, is often applied at rates the soil cannot process efficiently, leading to losses, emissions and inconsistent crop response.

None of these challenges is solved simply by adding microbes, “bugs in a jug,” or a generic biostimulant. Biology does not operate in isolation; it interacts with chemistry, physics and management. This is why SFS has always approached soils as systems, not as collections of products. And it is why we are introducing two terms that better describe how our tools work and how they sit within the industry: Bio-Positive and Bio-Supportive.

Bio-Positive inputs are those that add biological energy, activity and resilience to the system. They enhance what the soil already holds, rather than trying to overwrite it. Products such as ActiV8-Bio, Vita-Protect and Vitaplex V8 fall into this category. They stimulate active microbial processes, improve nutrient cycling, support rooting, and build early crop strength, not through artificial stimulation, but by nudging the system toward higher natural function. These inputs are especially valuable after stress events, in soils emerging from cultivation, and in fields with historically low biological responsiveness.

Bio-Supportive inputs create the right conditions for biology to operate effectively. This includes freeing locked nutrients, improving soil structure, supporting oxygen balance and helping water move through the profile. Tools like Mega-Fos, Humic SC, specific trace-element blends, and our mineral carriers fall into this category. These are less ‘biological’ products in themselves, yet they significantly improve biological outcomes. Soil cannot cycle nutrients efficiently if phosphate is locked, pores are tight, or residues are sitting in a semi-anaerobic mat. Bio-Supportive inputs remove those bottlenecks so the biology, whether naturally occurring or applied, can actually do its job.

Together, Bio-Positive and Bio-Supportive form the backbone of the SFS approach to soil function. The combination delivers a soil that drains, breathes, feeds and recovers more effectively. It creates a system where the crop has access to what it needs, when it needs it, without stacking artificial inputs on top of synthetic inputs to compensate for underlying dysfunction.

It is also essential to define what SFS products are not. They are not silver bullets or instant fixes. They do not claim unrealistic yield jumps. They are not the kind of “biostimulants” that offer a brief spark of activity before fading away. They do not attempt to replace fertiliser outright or bypass good agronomy. They are, instead, tools that gradually but meaningfully shift the soil system in the right direction. Soil improvement is engineering, not theatre. It takes an understanding of chemistry, biology, mineral balance and crop physiology, and that is where our inputs are designed to operate.

This raises a second question many farmers ask: “Do these approaches actually scale?”

The answer is yes. On real farms, not just research plots, we see nitrogen reductions of 20–40% when Bio-N is integrated with Bio-Supportive practices. We see residue breakdown accelerating from months to weeks after Bio-Mulch, allowing more reliable establishment of the following crops. Fields that were historically tight and slow become easier to drill, more straightforward to drain and more responsive to nutrients after ActiV8-Bio and Humic SC. Complexed biological test have highlighted an increase in beneficial bacteria following their application. And in seasons of weather stress, which now seem to be every season, crops treated with Bio-Positive and Bio-Supportive combinations show noticeably better resilience.

This isn’t only important for farmers; it is becoming critical for the food companies that depend on them. Brands like Nestlé, PepsiCo, Arla and McCain all face the same challenge: they need suppliers who can show year-on-year gains in soil health, carbon efficiency, nutrient use and greenhouse-gas outcomes. Scope 3 reductions and long-term resilience cannot be achieved by simply asking growers to cut inputs. They require systems that keep productivity stable while reducing environmental pressure. Bio-Positive and Bio-Supportive approaches help achieve this by strengthening the soil processes that underpin efficient, resilient and sustainable fields.

This is where SFS sits within the industry, not as a manufacturer of “biostimulants”, but as a soil-function partner. Our tools and methods support farmers as they transition to more regenerative practices, while also working perfectly well in conventional and organic systems. They are designed for the messy, unpredictable reality of farming, not for idealised theory. Whether a grower is trying to reduce nitrogen, improve organic matter use, strengthen plant resilience or unlock stubborn nutrients, our inputs are built to help the system respond more effectively and consistently.

As regenerative agriculture continues to evolve, clarity will become increasingly important. Farmers need to understand what different products do. Supply-chain companies need partners who can deliver measurable improvements. And the industry as a whole needs to distinguish between short-lived trends and tools that genuinely improve soil function.

Bio-Positive and Bio-Supportive are our contributions to that clarity. It reflects how our products work, how they fit into modern farming, and how they help soils do what they were always meant to do: support crops confidently, efficiently and resiliently. Suppose you are a grower, adviser or organisation exploring how biological and mineral tools can strengthen the foundations of your farming system. In that case, we are always ready to talk, collaborate and explore what is possible.

Because once the soil system starts working with you rather than against you, everything else becomes easier, for the farmer, for the crop and for the companies depending on the harvest.

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