UPM launches new biostimulant product range

UPM works on a new biorefinery in Leuna, Germany. - Photos: UPM

UPM Biochemicals has announced the launch of a new range of bio-based plant stimulants, UPM SolargoTM. This launch marks UPM’s entry into the large and profitable agrochemicals market with an innovative, sustainable alternative to fossil raw materials-based products.

UPM SolargoTM biostimulants are a solution for sustainable agriculture providing scientifically proven benefits for a broad range of crops cultivated in fields and greenhouses with an optimized environmental footprint compared to incumbent fossils-based products. They aid plant growth by improving the quality of soil microbiome and by increasing water retention.

Unlike traditional fertilizers, UPM SolargoTM biostimulants do not directly provide nutrients to the plant. Instead, they increase nutrient absorption, utilization efficiency and stress tolerance of the plant. In long term testing, UPM SolargoTM products have shown to increase crop yield and quality.

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Left side: without UPM Solargo™, middle: 50g/m3 of UPM Solargo™ 900, right: 500 g/m3 of UPM SolargoT™ 900 mixed in cultivation media showing optimum growth of birch seedlings. The greenness of the leaves indicates better uptake of nutrients by the plant.

Renewable sources

“The launch of UPM SolargoTM marks the successful end of many years of research and development. By bringing this family of novel, bio-based plant stimulants to market, we establish yet another, entirely new category of high value sustainable chemicals and live up to our commitment to pioneer sustainable chemistry” says Christian Hübsch, Director Sales & Marketing Biochemicals at UPM.

UPM SolargoTM biostimulants are a natural product containing plant-based polyphenols from renewable sources. They are derived from lignin, a bio-based, non-toxic raw material that can help to significantly reduce our dependency on fossil raw materials in a variety of applications. Test marketing has been finalized with great success in main European markets and the process of rolling out UPM Solargo™ at full industrial scale has started.