UPM launches new biostimulant product range as a long-term solution for sustainable agriculture
(UPM, Helsinki, 26 February at 10:00 EET) – UPM Biochemicals has today 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 highly innovative solution for sustainable agriculture providing scientifically proven benefits for a broad range of crops cultivated in fields and greenhouses with a significantly 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.
Left side: without UPM SolargoTM, middle: 50g/m3 of UPM SolargoTM 900, right: 500 g/m3 of UPM SolargoTM 900 mixed in cultivation media showing optimum growth of birch seedlings. The greenness of the leaves indicates better uptake of nutrients by the plant.
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. More importantly, UPM SolargoTM has the potential to help significantly reduce demand for classical fertilizers based on nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK), the production and use of which is held responsible for up to 80% of CO2-emissions in crop production1.
“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.
“The reduction of CO2 emissions across industries can only work if we scale the replacement of materials and chemicals which are based on fossil raw materials – across sectors. The agricultural sector is particularly important in that respect, as the effect of bio-based, sustainable products such as UPM SolargoTM goes beyond climate change mitigation. It also supports increasingly important sustainability goals for the agricultural sector by improving soil health, soil productivity and biodiversity thereby effectively mitigating the negative effects of traditional fertilizers, mainly nitrification, erosion and disturbance in soil microbiota,”" Hübsch adds.
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.
UPM is committed to creating a future beyond fossils by bringing more environmentally friendly materials, such as UPM’s sustainable lignin solutions, to the market. UPM Biochemicals is part of a broader growth area, UPM Biorefining, focused on scaling refineries producing a variety of renewable fuels and chemicals made from sustainable biomass.
For further information please contact:
Martin Ledwon, Vice President Stakeholder Relations UPM Biorefining & Technology, martin.ledwon@upm.com
UPM, Media Relations
Mon-Fri 9:00-16:00 EET
tel. +358 40 588 3284
media@upm.com
UPM Biochemicals
UPM Biochemicals offers innovative, sustainable and competitive wood-based biochemicals for replacing fossil-based raw materials and improving the environmental performance in various applications. End-use segments for renewable glycols include textiles, PET bottles, packaging, coolants, composites, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and detergents. Lignin-based Renewable Functional Fillers (RFF) offer a sustainable alternative to carbon black and precipitated silica in a broad range of rubber and plastic applications. UPM is building an industrial scale biorefinery in Leuna, Germany to convert solid wood into next generation biochemicals. www.upmbiochemicals.com
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UPM
We deliver renewable and responsible solutions and innovate for a future beyond fossils across six business areas: UPM Fibres, UPM Energy, UPM Raflatac, UPM Specialty Papers, UPM Communication Papers and UPM Plywood. As the industry leader in responsibility, we are committed to the UN Business Ambition for 1.5°C and the science-based targets to mitigate climate change. We employ 16,600 people worldwide and our annual sales are approximately EUR 10,5 billion. Our shares are listed on Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd. UPM Biofore – Beyond fossils. www.upm.com
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