b'Why Biostimulants are no CLAUDE SANDERLonger Just an Add-on VP CLIENT RELATIONS/MANAGING PARTNER, TAURUS AGAS WE CONTINUEto progress within the agriculture industry,taurus.agweve noticed there remains a misconception that performance @TaurusAgTeamand sustainability are mutually exclusivethat biologicalclaude@taurus.agproducts cannot deliver the crop performance growers need. At Acadian Plant Health, were challenging this conventional thinking and doing so with proven science from the past 40 yearsbiostimulants can deliver stronger results in a sustain- Transforming Wastewater into a able and regenerative manner.Acadian Plant Healths recently announced Sea BeyondValuable Agricultural Resourcerebranding is a nod to this vision of reconciling the trade-off between performance and sustainability. With collabora- ISAAC ASIMOVonce stated, We can substitute nuclear energy tion and innovation, we believe we can continue to developfor coal, plastics for wood, yeast for meat, and friendliness for solutions that meet the growing demand for food while alsoisolation. However, when it comes to phosphorus, there is no preserving our planets natural resources. substitute or replacement. Our industry has a long history of regarding biological cropPhosphorus is an essential element in agriculture, promot-protection productsnaturally occurring materials that opti- ing root development, improving crop yield, and contributing mize crop productionwith suspicion. The agricultural inputsto overall plant health. However, the main source of phospho-industry needs to see beyond the current state of agriculturerus fertilizers, rock phosphate, is a non-renewable resource and offer sustainable solutions that provide high-value cropfound in limited quantities in countries like Morocco, China, productivity. Biostimulants should no longer be viewed as aRussia, and the United States. The increasing global demand peripheral add-on but as an essential component of sustainablefor phosphorus-based fertilizers has led to the depletion of these agriculture. reserves at an alarming rate.To turn this vision into reality we need deep and lastingThe mining and extraction of rock phosphate also cause changes to our global food and agriculture systems to unleashenvironmental degradation, including habitat destruction the most important change opportunity in our industry in 75and water pollution. To address the decline in rock phosphate years.reserves and reduce environmental impacts, efforts are being Sea Beyond aims to address the challenges faced by themade to find alternative solutions.agricultural industry such as climate change. We do this byIn urban areas, waste and wastewater from industries and developing technological solutions that respond to the needs ofagriculture serve as rich sources of phosphorus. However, these agricultural production systems. The vision of Sea Beyond iswastewaters are traditionally treated as waste rather than valu-to go beyond the traditional limits of the agricultural industryable resources.and bring innovative solutions that can help farmers cope withVarious phosphorus recovery technologies have been the impacts of climate change on crop productivity. developed to extract phosphorus from wastewater and convert At Acadian, were creating meaningful value for multina- it into reusable products. These technologies include chemical tionals, formulators, distributors and farmers. Were doingprecipitation, adsorption, biological processes, membrane filtra-that by providing tools that can sit alongside and complementtion, and ion exchange. Companies like Ostara have recog-existing technologies. nized the potential of wastewater and have created innovative Our industry is faced with challenges brought by unprec- technologies, such as their patented Nutrient Recovery Process, edented change happening the world over. Lets see beyondto recover phosphorus. the conventional and work togetherThrough this process, phosphorus is transformed into a to advance sustainability, for thehigh-quality granular fertility product called Crystal Green, benefit of plant and planet. closing the nutrient loop.Intensifying wastewater recovery has several benefits. By recovering phosphorus from wastewater, we can reduce reliance on rock phosphate and preserve this non-renewable resource for JAMES MAUDEfuture generations.Governments, industries, and individuals must invest in SENIOR VICE-PRESIDENTresearch, innovation, and infrastructure to unlock the full PORTFOLIO DEVELOPMENT,potential of wastewater and bridge the gap between industries, ACADIAN PLANT HEALTHjmaude@acadian.ca recover nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) that would other-acadianplanthealth.com wise go to waste, and create renewably sourced sustainable crop@AcadianPlant nutrition.JULY 2023 GERMINATION.CA 29'