The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has introduced changes to the Fertiliser (Control) Order, 1985 though three amendments. The amendments, which came into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette, expand the list of approved biostimulants, set detailed specifications for their use and revise guidelines for conducting bio-efficacy trials. All three of these notification were published on August 13, 2025.
These amendments are as follows:
- Fertiliser (Inorganic, Organic or Mixed) (Control) Sixth Amendment Order, 2025,
- Fertiliser (Inorganic, Organic or Mixed) (Control) Seventh Amendment Order, 2025, and
- Fertiliser (Inorganic, Organic or Mixed) (Control) Eighth Amendment Order, 2025
Significance of Biostimulants
Biostimulants – substances that enhance plant nutrition, stress tolerance, and productivity – have grown in demand as Indian agriculture adapts to challenges of climate change, soil degradation, and sustainable farming needs. By expanding and formalizing specifications, the Ministry aims to:
- Encourage innovation in eco-friendly fertiliser alternatives.
- Safeguard farmers from spurious products.
- Boost productivity in key crops such as rice, wheat, chilli, tomato, soybean, and maize.
Fertiliser (Inorganic, Organic or Mixed) (Control) Sixth Amendment Order, 2025
Revised Norms for Bio-efficacy Trials
The order specifies new requirements for bio-efficacy trials. Agronomic bio-efficacy trials will now be required to be conducted at the National Agricultural Research System, which includes the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and State Agricultural Universities. The trials must be conducted on the same crop at a minimum of three different doses for one season across three distinct agro-ecological regions.
Introduction of New Biostimulants and Specifications
The amendment adds a list of 25 new biostimulants to Schedule VI, Part A, including various formulations of Humic and Fulvic Acid, Seaweed Extracts, Botanical Extracts, Vitamins, Antioxidants, and Cell-free Microbial Products.
New Products and Their Applications
- Humic and Fulvic Acid Derivatives: New specifications for a range of granular and liquid products have been added. For instance, “Humic acid and Fulvic acid 19.5% (Liquid)” is specified for use on crops like Chilli, Potato, Rice, Cotton, Soybean, Cumin, and Onion with a dose of 1250 ml/ha. Another new product, “Humic acid 40% (Powder)”, is now approved for use on Soybean and Paddy.
- Seaweed Extracts: Several new seaweed-based biostimulants have been introduced, derived from Sargassum tenerrimum, Ascophyllum nodosum, and Kappaphycus alvarezii. For example, “Ascophyllum nodosum 20% (liquid)” is now specified for use on Chilli, Rice, Cotton, Bengal gram, tomato, Soybean and Wheat.
- Botanical Extracts: The order adds new botanical extracts and biochemicals to the list, including Adhatoda vasica extract 2% (Liquid) for Chilli and Tomato crops, and Brassica juncea seed extract– 0.2% (Liquid) for Cucumber.
- Microbial Products, Vitamins, and Antioxidants: The amendment also adds new biostimulants such as γ-Polyglutamic acid from Bacillus subtilis, Protease and Cellulase enzyme from Bacillus sp., and Harpin αβ from Escherichia coli. New products under the Vitamins sub-heading, including Vitamin B3 (Nicotinamide) 3.25% (liquid) and Vitamin (Alpha Tocopherol) 1% (Liquid), have also been included with specific crop applications. A new antioxidant, Phenolic compounds 3% (Liquid), has also been added with a prescribed dosage for maize.
The order also modifies the application and dosage instructions for several previously existing biostimulant products.
In addition to the new specifications, a new tolerance limit has been inserted in Part B of Schedule VI, specifying that for Wickerhamomyces anomalus (a type of non-Saccharomyces yeast), the total viable count must not be less than 2.5 x 10^9 cfu/gm.
These amendments aim to formalize the use of a wider range of biostimulant products, ensuring their quality and efficacy through standardized trials and specifications, and thereby providing farmers with more options for sustainable crop management.
Fertiliser (Inorganic, Organic or Mixed) (Control) Seventh Amendment Order, 2025
Expanded Biostimulant List
New entries under humic and fulvic acid formulations, seaweed extracts, protein hydrolysates, and mixed biostimulant formulations have been added.
For the first time, products such as cell-free microbial extracts, phenolic compounds, and anti-transpirants like S-Abscisic acid have been incorporated into Schedule VI of the Fertiliser Control Order.
Crop-Specific Guidelines
Each new product is accompanied by crop-specific recommendations. For instance:
- Humic acid 50% (powder): Two soil applications at 10 kg/ha for chilli.
- Seaweed extract (Sargassum wightii) 35% (powder): Three foliar sprays at 200 g/ha for chilli.
- Protein hydrolysate 15% (animal source, liquid): Seed treatment for potato.
- S-Abscisic acid (anti-transpirant): One foliar application at 62.5 g/ha for wheat and rice.
Quality Specifications
Each biostimulant entry is defined by minimum composition requirements (e.g., percentage of active ingredients, organic carbon, solubility, pH, bulk density).
Labels of certain products, such as phenolic compounds, will now also carry mandatory safety warnings.
The government has introduced strict compositional benchmarks to ensure product efficacy, ranging from organic carbon levels to dissolved solids and solubility parameters. This is intended to improve transparency in the biostimulant market and protect farmers from sub-standard formulations.
Fertiliser (Inorganic, Organic or Mixed) (Control) Eighth Amendment Order, 2025
New Biostimulant Products and Their Applications
New liquid formulations have been added, including:
- Humic and Fulvic acid (29%) (Liquid): Specified for three foliar applications on Watermelon at a dose of 1500 ml/litre.
- Humate 7.15% (Liquid): Approved for three foliar applications on Rice at 1250 ml/ha and on Chilli at 1500 ml/ha.
Several new liquid seaweed-based products from Ascophyllum nodosum and Kappaphycus alvarezii have been introduced:
- Seaweed (Ascophyllum nodosum) extract 22% (Liquid): With a dose of two foliar applications at 500 ml/ha for Groundnut.
- Seaweed (Ascophyllum nodosum) extract 99.52% (Liquid): Specified for three foliar applications on Grapes and Cotton at 300 ml/ha.
- Seaweed (Ascophyllum nodosum) extract 97.52% (Liquid): Approved for two foliar applications on Groundnut and Soybean at 625 ml/ha.
The order also introduces new mixed products, such as:
- Mixture of Protein Hydrolysate and Antioxidant (Liquid): For four foliar applications on Tomato at 1000 ml/ha.
- Mixture of Protein hydrolysate, seaweed extract and humic acid (Liquid): For two foliar applications on Tomato at 500 ml/ha.
New products from animal and bacterial sources have been added:
- Protein hydrolysate 62.5% (Animal source) (Liquid): For four foliar applications on Chilli at 1000 ml/ha.
- Protein hydrolysate (Bacterial biomass) 100% (Powder): Approved for three foliar applications on Potato at 220 g/ha.
A new bio-chemical product, L-Pyroglutamic acid (Pidolic acid) 10% (Liquid), has been added for four foliar applications on Grapes at 1000 ml/ha. A new antioxidant, Antioxidant (Glycyrrhizic acid) 1% (Powder), is now approved for two foliar applications on Okra at 2.5 kg/ha.
The order provides detailed composition and specification tables for each new biostimulant, including parameters such as pH, organic carbon content, specific gravity, and solubility, along with the specified crops and dosage instructions. These amendments aim to formalize the use of a wider range of biostimulant products, providing farmers with more options for improving crop health and productivity.