Plant Biostimulants Update Russell S. Jones, Ph.D., Senior Biologist Biochemical Pesticides Branch

1. Office of Chemical Safety & Pollution Prevention, Office of Pesticide Programs, Biopesticides & Pollution Prevention Division Plant Biostimulants Update Russell S. Jones, Ph.D., Senior Biologist Biochemical Pesticides Branch Biopesticides & Pollution Prevention Division Office of Pesticide Programs Office of Chemical Safety & Pollution Prevention U. S. Environmental Protection Agency

2. What are Biostimulants? Products comprised of microbes and/or naturally-occurring plant growth substances derived from plants, animals, or microbes, used either alone or in combination with one another.

3. Intended Uses Biostimulants • Enhancers of plant growth and development • Increase yield and crop quality • Improve nutrient and water efficiency • Enhance resistance to abiotic and biotic stress • Induce systemic resistance to pathogens • Add or foster development of beneficial microorganisms in the rhizosphere

4. Plant Biostimulants Do Not: • Act as fertilizers, or provide any fertilizer benefits to plants • Act as fungicides, insecticides, rodenticides, herbicides, nematicides, and/or mitigate any plant pest

5. Biostimulant Market • Relatively new, but growing category of products • Global market expected to reach over $2.24 billion by 2018 • Estimated compound growth rate of 12.5% between 2013 and 2018 • Over 6.2 million hectares treated in Europe in 2013 • In the US, the “typical” biostimulant product is a seaweed extract

6. Why Are Biostimulants Important to EPA • Some components regulated under FIFRA - Plant hormones (auxins, cytokinins, etc.) - Other bioactive substances - Microbes • Some product performance claims trigger regulation under FIFRA • May contain Conventional Chemicals not listed on product label ingredients statement

8. BIOSTIMULANT REGULATORY ISSUES • No clear definition, statutory or otherwise • Numerous products of uncertain composition • Some product label claims may trigger State/Federal enforcement actions • Uncertainty in the regulated community • Uncertainty in the State/Federal regulating community • FTE time devoted to enforcement issues • Rapidly growing product category needing regulatory clarity

9. Where Do We Go From Here? • Exempt/Exclude from Federal regulation? - Highly unlikely for all plant biostimulants • “Light-Touch” regulatory pathway? - Based on existing human health/environmental information - Documented human food source - Long history of human/environmental exposure • Align with proposed EU Fertilizer Law Revision? • Business as usual – FIFRA Section 3 Registration?

10. Revision to EU Fertilizers Regulation (Reg. 2003/2003) • Proposed statutory definition for plant biostimulants • Four regulatory options for plant biostimulants • Proposed implementation in early 2020s

11. Goals of the Proposed Regulatory Guidance for Biostimulants • Describe the current “universe” of plant biostimulants for guidance purposes; • Provide regulatory relief for certain types of plant biostimulants • Provide regulatory clarity for Federal and State regulators • Provide regulatory clarity for the regulated community