Development of a Biostimulant From a Co-product Obtained During the Production of an Antimicrobial Black Spruce Bark Extract

Since 2016, Innofibre has been working in collaboration with other research centers, industrial partners and the forest industry in the Lac-Saint-Jean region to develop bioactive extracts for various applications from forest resources.

The scale-up of a production process for an antimicrobial extract of black spruce bark is underway. This ingredient is intended for the sanitation and agricultural pesticide markets for potato storage. The production process also generates an aqueous co-product containing many molecules extracted from the bark. Thus, rather than disposing of this influent through a water treatment system, the Consortium de recherche sur la pomme de terre du Québec (CRPTQ) wishes to valorize it to increase the economic profitability of the process. After preliminary work, a potential biostimulant for this co-product was identified.

This is all the more interesting due to the fact that, in recent years, agriculture has been facing major challenges. It must always be more productive in order to feed the growing world population while reducing its impact on the environment and health. This is why potato producers and processors involved with the consortium are very interested in new, local bio-based products that allow them to maintain their productivity while reducing the use of fertilizers and chemical inputs.

In this perspective, the use of biostimulants is an interesting avenue that will promote plant growth, flowering, fruit development, nutrient absorption and protection against a wide range of abiotic factors.