Agricultural biologicals are a diverse group of crop protection strategies and products made from living or naturally occurring materials such as microbes or plant extracts, or use beneficial insects. They can also be synthesized in the lab, but are nature-like in composition. One example is insect pheromones, which are used for pest control as part of integrated pest management strategies. Biologicals are an important addition to synthetic crop protection products for optimised residue and resistance management.

Microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi and viruses play an important role in the development and production of new biologicals. The soil contains huge quantities of such microorganisms. A spoonful of soil can contain up to 50 billion microbes. For scientists, this genetic diversity resembles an almost inexhaustible pool of potential new plant protection methods. Researchers are examining these microbes for their respective properties with the aim of making them usable for plant protection.

Biologicals can, for example, be applied to the seed and protect the seedling from predators or disease (biocontrols) or improve the immune system of plants (biostimulants).

Biostimulants are neither fertilisers nor crop protection products. They are a new, complementary class of agricultural inputs that interact with the chemical and biological components in the plant and soil. Thus, biostimulants support the plant's nutrient uptake from the soil, reduce abiotic stress and increase the quality of the crop.

Biologicals are divided into two main classes, each with different subcategories:

Biocontrols (Biotic stress management): Based on naturally occurring substances and used for biotic stress management in the control of diseases, pests and weeds.

Examples:

• Macro-organisms such as insects that destroy insect pests as beneficial organisms.
  
• Microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi and viruses.
• Biochemicals: Plant extracts, pheromones (synthetically produced attractants, so-called confusion technology) or RNA-based biologicals: Here, double-stranded RNA is distributed on the plant, which the pests ingest when eating the plant. The RNA then stops the synthesis of essential proteins in the pest and thus paralyses the pathogen or pest.

Crop enhancement (Abiotic stress management): Influences many factors that affect plant growth and health, including root growth, water-holding capacity or microbial activity.

Examples:

• Fertilisers: Provide nutrients
  
• Biostimulants: Contain substances or microorganisms that stimulate the natural processes of plants, improving their nutrient or water use efficiency, their tolerance to abiotic stresses such as drought or heat, or their plant quality.
  
• Growth regulators: Improve the shape and structure (morphology) of plants.