Symposium ‘Technical and legal opportunities for biostimulants in the seed sector’

Wednesday, 29 September 13:30 – 15:00

Language: English

Lecturer 1: Harm Smit, senior policy advisor Fertilizers at the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality of the Netherlands
Harm Smit will speak about the new Fertilizer Product Regulation that will come into force from July 2022. Biostimulants are a new fertilizer product in this regulation. In the future, it will be possible to market this products, provided that they comply with the environmental and safety requirements of the new legislation in the European Union. Harm Smit will present the new procedures for placing these products on the market and the current work on preparing the smooth implementation of the new rules in the Netherlands.

Lecturer 2: Matthijs Blind, project leader hydroponics at Vertify
Matthijs Blind is project leader hydroponics and greenhouse horticulture at Vertify. He will discuss the results of the ‘Bio4safe’ project. In this project, various research institutes in the Netherlands, Belgium, England and France conducted research into the effects of biostimulants in various crops for 4 years. These results and biostimulants are included in a database, which he will explain.

Lecturer 3: Dirk Bakker, Technical director Van Iperen
Dirk Bakker is technical director of Van Iperen BV at Westmaas. Dirk will present and discuss about “Opportunities and obstacles in the use of biostimulants in practice” With an ever-decreasing portfolio of chemical pesticides, it is becoming increasingly important to grow resilient and defensible crops. One of the tools to achieve this could be a package of biostimulants. A search for possibilities and a report of the first practical experiences with biostimulants in the Dutch agriculture and horticulture.