UPM Biochemicals, a leading sustainable chemicals company, has announced the launch of a new range of bio-based plant stimulants, UPM Solargo™. This marks UPM’s entry into the agrochemicals market with an innovative, eco-friendly alternative to traditional fossil-based products. UPM Solargo™ biostimulants offer a sustainable solution for agriculture, providing proven benefits for various crops while reducing their environmental footprint.
Unlike conventional fertilizers, UPM Solargo™ biostimulants enhance plant growth by improving soil microbiome quality and increasing water retention. They do not directly supply nutrients to the plant but instead improve nutrient absorption, utilization efficiency, and stress tolerance. Long-term testing has shown that UPM Solargo™ products increase crop yield and quality. Moreover, they have the potential to help decrease the demand for classical NPK fertilizers, which contribute to up to 80% of CO2 emissions in crop production.
Christian Hübsch, Director Sales & Marketing Biochemicals at UPM, commented, “The launch of UPM Solargo™ marks the culmination of years of research and development. By introducing this range of novel, bio-based plant stimulants, we create a new category of high-value sustainable chemicals and fulfill our commitment to sustainable chemistry.”
The agricultural sector plays a crucial role in reducing CO2 emissions across industries by replacing materials and chemicals derived from fossil fuels. UPM Solargo™ not only contributes to climate change mitigation but also supports essential sustainability goals for agriculture by enhancing soil health, productivity, and biodiversity. This, in turn, counteracts the negative effects of traditional fertilizers, such as nitrification, erosion, and disruption of soil microbiota.
UPM Solargo™ biostimulants are made from natural ingredients containing plant-based polyphenols sourced from renewable materials. These stimulants are derived from lignin, a non-toxic, bio-based raw material that can help reduce our reliance on fossil fuels in various applications. The biostimulants have successfully completed test marketing in major European markets, and UPM is now moving forward with full-scale industrial production.
