Global Agricultural Biologicals Market Size, Trend & Opportunity Analysis Report, by Crop Type (Cereals & Grains, Oilseeds & Pulses, Fruits & Vegetables, Others), Product (Biopesticides, Biostimulants), Application Method (Foliar Spray, Seed Treatment, So

Market Definition and Introduction

The global agricultural biologicals market was valued at USD 10.61 billion in 2024 and is anticipated to reach USD 22.80 billion by 2035, expanding at a CAGR of 7.2% during the forecast period (2024–2035). Agriculture is undergoing major shifts spurred by new demands for sustainability in farming, legislation on reduced chemical pesticide use, and consumers now demanding residue-free food. Agricultural biologicals comprise biopesticides, biostimulants, and biofertilizers with forefront promises to usher this transformation by providing ecologically sound solutions that are beneficial to soil health, crop resilience, and decreased environmental ill effects. The evolving picture of biologicals for future-ready agricultural systems transcends such backgrounds as climate uncertainty and the shrinking arable land.

Furthermore, the market is evolving due to government incentives promoting integrated pest management and sustainable soil fertility strategies by which farmers are further pushed toward the application of biological products with conventional inputs. In developing countries, most of these smallholder farmers are marketed through subsidies and training programs, leveraging them to speed up the adoption of bio-based products. However, usage in developed markets continues with more targeted applications driven by precision agriculture and data-backed farm management systems.

As research progresses into microbial consortia, plant extracts, and fermentation technologies, biologicals are moving from a tightly held niche into mainstream agronomy. Investments from multinational corporations and even versatile start-ups are pouring into such custom-made formulations that promise consistent efficacy and shelf stability. This wave of innovation not only converges with climate-smart agriculture but also generates economic returns over time using both lower-input costs and better quality crops to yield more revenue for farmers.

Recent Developments in the Industry

Strategic collaborations trigger innovation in microbial products for crop protection and improvement.

Bayer AG announced in September 2024 a wide partnership with Ginkgo Bioworks to enhance the microbial strain libraries for biofertilisers and biopesticides aimed at increasing the yield performance while significantly reducing the use of synthetic inputs.

Product launches consistently boost the biological portfolios to provide residue-free farming solutions.

In April 2024, Corteva Agriscience launched a new biological seed treatment, known as Lumidapt™, that includes early root vigour with nutrient optimisation and abiotic stress mitigation in challenging environments for cereals.

Regulatory updates are, hence, galvanising the evolution and accession of biologicals in key global regions.

Ambitious targets towards cutting chemical pesticide use by 50% by 2030 were set through the Farm-to-Fork Strategy of the European Union in 2023. This has led to renewed pressure and an increase in registrations and market approvals for bio-based crop protection solutions.

Funds are flowing into fermentation plants in response to the increased demand for bio-based inputs.

Early in 2025, UPL Limited declared an investment amounting to USD 200 million in the expansion of its bio-solutions plant in India, boosting the scale of production of microbial biopesticides and biostimulants for the domestic and international markets.

Targeting areas that have a high-growth rate in sustainable agriculture are developing further expansions.

For example, Novozymes A/S in 2023 extended its reach into commercial bio-agriculture through commissioning an R&D centre in Brazil that is designed to run a Soybean yield-enhancement and disease-resistance program relying on microbial inoculants.

Next-generation formulations: Innovations meant for post-harvest and foliar applications.

Marrone Bio Innovations rolled out Jet-Ag Plus™ in August 2024, a multi-spectrum bio-fungicide for foliar and post-harvest application on fruits and vegetables, with extended shelf life and limited post-harvest losses.

Market Dynamics

Demand for sustainable crop protection is growing, which is driving market growth globally.

With increased scrutiny on pesticide residues and the growing issue of resistance, farmers have slowly started leaning toward biologicals as safer and equally effective tools in crop protection. Besides offering targeted pest control without harming beneficial organisms, biopesticides promote soil biodiversity and, consequently, long-term productivity. The change is reinforced by public and private extension programs that disseminate knowledge to build farmer confidence and lower barriers to adoption.

Regulatory frameworks are looking to favour the rapid expansion of eco-compliant biological solutions.

Accelerated timelines to market for biologicals due to stringent global frameworks such as the EU's Green Deal and the U.S. EPA's bio-based pesticide registration procedures are incentivising new biologicals. At the same time, mounting restrictions against chemical crop inputs have created opportunities for biologicals to grow with their regulatory pathways designed favourably, requiring less data and with a faster approval process. This regulatory wind in the tail is letting innovations blossom, accelerating product pipelines and stimulating investments.

High development costs and inconsistent field performance challenge widespread adoption.

Although promising, biologicals have found greater acceptance harder due to limited scale-up potential, short shelf life, and various efficacies in differing agro-climatic conditions. The production of live microbial strains can only be assured in controlled environments, which will consequently increase the plant cost. Conversely, growers naturally sceptical of anything but conventional chemicals tend to slow the entry of biologicals into commercial farming systems, where patience is particularly critical for yield.

Employment opportunities are opening with respect to the integration of digital farming and precision application technologies.

Integration of biologicals with digital farm management platforms is creating new pathways for custom solutions. Smart application systems, precision sprayers, and soil microbiome analytics empower farmers to optimise dosage and timing, greatly enhancing the reliability of the product. Ag-tech firms and biological manufacturers' collaborations are anticipated to usher in a renaissance of personalised, data-led biological solutions.

Globally, agricultural trends show that biostimulants are gaining popularity as sources of stress resilience.

As climate change is worsening the droughts, floods, and saline conditions, biostimulants are slowly gaining acceptability in the market, mainly to improve root architecture, nutrient uptake, and overall stress tolerance. These inputs are becoming increasingly popular with farmers as mechanisms to guarantee yield stability in erratic weather, while food retailers and exporters are all more hung up on the products' residue-free status in satisfying international quality benchmarks.

Attractive Opportunities in the Market

Microbial Consortia Growth – Expanded use of multi-strain formulations delivering synergistic crop resilience and soil health improvement.
Digital Farming Synergy – Integration of biological inputs with precision agriculture tools for optimal crop-specific application strategies.
Biostimulant Demand Surge – Rising adoption in cereals and horticulture to mitigate abiotic stress under changing climatic conditions.
Regulatory Tailwinds – Streamlined approvals in the EU and U.S., accelerating global commercialisation of eco-friendly biological products.
Asia-Pacific Expansion – Rapidly growing agricultural sectors in China and India are fuelling strong uptake of bio-based solutions.
Post-Harvest Protection – Increasing focus on biological treatments to reduce food waste and extend perishable shelf life.
Public-Private Partnerships – Collaborative projects between governments, research institutes, and corporates to boost adoption at grassroots levels.
Eco-Certified Branding – Growing consumer preference for organic and residue-free labels, enhancing market pull for biologicals.
High-Value Crop Focus – Fruits and vegetables attracting significant biological investment due to high returns and export orientation.
Strategic M&A Activity – Consolidations among key players enabling technological upgrades and diversified product portfolios.

Report Segmentation

By Crop Type: Cereals & Grains, Oilseeds & Pulses, Fruits & Vegetables, Others

By Product: Biopesticides, Biostimulants

By Application Method: Foliar Spray, Seed Treatment, Soil Treatment, Post-Harvest

By Region: North America (U.S., Canada, Mexico), Europe (UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Spain, Rest of Europe), Asia-Pacific (China, India, Japan, Australia, South Korea, Rest of Asia-Pacific), LAMEA (Brazil, Argentina, UAE, Saudi Arabia (KSA), Africa Rest of Latin America)

Key Market Players

Bayer AG, BASF SE, UPL Limited, Corteva Agriscience, Marrone Bio Innovations, Valent BioSciences LLC, Novozymes A/S, Koppert Biological Systems, Certis Biologicals, and Lallemand Inc.

Report Aspects

Base Year: 2024
Historic Years: 2022, 2023, 2024
Forecast Period: 2024-2035
Report Pages: 293

Dominating Segments

Biopesticides are the most dynamic segment of the agricultural biologicals market, driven by regulatory support and farmers' demand for greener protection.

The significant share is accounted for by the fact that biopesticides have already formed a higher part of the integrated pest management (IPM) programs across the world. These two conditions have placed biopesticides as inseparable from frameworks that limit chemical pesticides, with consumers insisting on residue-free food. Specificity in targeting harmful non-target species, while protocollibacterium-based formulations, such as Bacillus thuringiensis and Trichoderma spp. Deliver both preventative and curative action. Recently, product launches and investments in fermentation facilities have added to availability and reliability. Government-backed training schemes educating farmers on safe and effective use further tend to strengthen this dominance by allowing wide-scale adoption.

Cereals & grains hold the most by crop type adoption in that they are cultivated on a much larger area and are prone to suffering from abiotic stress factors.

The segment attains leading dominion as cereals such as wheat, rice, and maize form the base of global food security. Under this condition, with dwindling arable land and increasing requirements for yields, biologicals are being utilised by and large like biostimulants and biofertilizers for improving soil fertility, root development, or crop resilience. Droughts and salinity stresses threaten the staple food commodities, making biostimulant applications especially realistic. Most of the public sector programmes in the Asia-Pacific have chosen cereals as targets for biological trials. Private companies have approached microbial consortia to improve nutrient absorption and disease resistance in crops. This segment is thus critical as far as biological adoption is concerned, making use of the scale of cereal cultivation.

The foliar spray application method will be highly dominant as it is easy and has a direct effect on crop performance.

Foliar spray is the most convenient application method preferred by farmers since it allows for quick absorption and connection to spray equipment. This method ensures rapid nutrient and biopesticide uptake into the crop; thereby, it provides speedy redressal of nutrient deficiencies and an outbreak of pests. The development of new formulation technologies has brought stability and shelf-life improvements concerning foliar spray, reducing the historical challenge of product degradation. Preferring this form of application in horticulture and products with a higher economic value, such as fruits, counts much on the quality of cosmetics. The rise in precision sprayer technologies, ensuring uniform coverage while optimising input costs, will also enhance the present dominance in the segment.

Key Takeaways

Biopesticides Drive Growth – Eco-friendly alternatives gain market share amid tightening pesticide restrictions worldwide.
Cereal Dominance Evident – Staple crops anchor adoption due to their scale, food security role, and susceptibility to stress.
Foliar Spray Preference – Simple application and fast-acting benefits keep foliar sprays dominant across multiple crop types.
Biostimulants Rising Fast – Abiotic stress mitigation makes biostimulants increasingly vital in global crop management strategies.
Consumer-Driven Demand – Organic and residue-free food preferences accelerate biological adoption, especially in fruits and vegetables.
Regulatory Momentum – Supportive approvals and subsidies speed up the commercialisation of biological products worldwide.
Innovation-Led Expansion – Advances in microbial consortia and formulation technologies boost reliability and uptake.
Asia-Pacific Outpaces Growth – Expanding agriculture and sustainability mandates push the region to the forefront of adoption.
Supply-Side Investments – Fermentation plants and bio-solution hubs secure future scalability and cost-efficiency.
Collaborative Ecosystem – Partnerships between corporates, governments, and research institutions underpin large-scale market adoption.

Regional Insights

The strongest industry support for agricultural biologicals, however, comes with an ecosystem of innovation in North America.

In spite of the leadership in this area, the far-reaching U.S. regulatory approvals for bio-based pesticides and stimulants are matched by the richness of R&D expertise supported through corporate-university partnerships. Many growers adopt rapid improvements in biologicals and integrate them into conventional farming to comply with retailer requirements due to the strong demand for organic food. Canada and Mexico are following with similar cross-border collaborations, also bolstered by sustainable produce export demand. Together, that regulatory environment and start-up funding in ag-tech, together with a growing consumer base demanding residue-free food, ensure North America's sustained leadership in biologicals.

When it comes to leading the charge for biologicals through restrictive regulations and sustainability initiatives, Europe is the birthplace of biological innovation.

The EU Green Deal and Farm to Fork Strategy are directly impacting change in farming practices as they seek to reduce chemical dependency and funnel funds toward bio-based innovation. Research into microbial consortia and restoration of soil health is being led by France, Germany, and Spain. Farmers are thereby incentivised through subsidy schemes and eco-certification programmes to adopt biologicals into supply chains that align with the climate goals of the bloc. Consumers clearly are pushing further organic and sustainable produce, allowing agricultural systems to swiftly integrate biologicals into mainstream cropping systems, especially in horticulture and vineyards.

Asia stands out as the fastest-growing market and grounds this development on the industrialisation of agriculture and government initiatives.

With extensive agricultural industries across China, India, and Southeast Asia, unprecedented biological uptake is occurring in the region. Governments are providing subsidies and training campaigns primarily to smallholder farmers on biofertilisers and microbial solutions. The booming e-commerce and the high demand for horticulture exports in India and China have added pressure for the clean produce. Japan and South Korea have modernised agricultural techniques, merging the application of precision farming with biological techniques. It is the vastness of the region in the agricultural scope, coupled with the ever-increasing demand, that puts the Asia-Pacific at the forefront in market growth.

LAMEA has been expanding in adoption thanks to the emergence of sustainable practices across the diverse farming landscape.

Brazil and Argentina lead the regional market for biologicals, underpinned by the cropping of soybean and sugarcane, which is highly conducive to biofertiliser and biopesticide uptake. Resource expediency and weather extremities have, in the Middle East, hastened biostimulants' adoption for stress mitigation in crops. The African continent is emerging in some arenas with the support of donor-led initiatives and NGO programmes that are ambitiously hoping to spread sustainable practices amongst smallholder farmers. The infrastructure in the region, however, lags; however, the urge for export-driven residue-free food coupled with increasing consumer awareness presents big opportunities for biological adoption in LAMEA.

Core Strategic Questions Answered in This Report

Q. What is the expected growth trajectory of the agricultural biologicals market from 2024 to 2035?

The global agricultural biologicals market is projected to grow from USD 10.61 billion in 2024 to USD 22.80 billion by 2035, registering a CAGR of 7.2%. This expansion is driven by consumer demand for sustainable produce, government incentives, and the rapid development of innovative microbial and plant-based products.

Q. Which key factors are fuelling the growth of the agricultural biologicals market?

Several key factors are propelling market growth:

Rising demand for sustainable and residue-free crop production
Government incentives and favourable regulatory policies promoting adoption
Growth of microbial and biostimulant innovations enhancing crop resilience
Expanding organic farming and precision agriculture practices
Increasing global food demand under shrinking arable land conditions

Q. What are the primary challenges hindering the growth of the agricultural biologicals market?

Major challenges include:

High development and production costs of biological formulations
Inconsistent field performance across varying agro-climatic zones
Limited awareness and technical know-how among smallholder farmers
Scalability issues and short shelf-life of microbial products
Strong competition from entrenched synthetic agrochemicals

Q. Which regions currently lead the agricultural biologicals market in terms of market share?

North America currently leads the agricultural biologicals market, fuelled by strong R&D capabilities, favourable regulations, and consumer demand for organic produce. Europe follows closely, supported by stringent sustainability targets and proactive adoption across horticulture and vineyards.

Q. What emerging opportunities are anticipated in the agricultural biologicals market?

The market is ripe with new opportunities, including:

Expansion of microbial consortia and biostimulant innovations
Integration of biologicals into precision and digital farming platforms
Rising demand for biological post-harvest protection solutions
Asia-Pacific’s rapid adoption supported by government-led programmes
Eco-labelling and organic certifications enhancing consumer-driven pull

Key Benefits for Stakeholders

The report offers a quantitative assessment of market segments, emerging trends, projections, and market dynamics for the period 2024 to 2035.
The report presents comprehensive market research, including insights into key growth drivers, challenges, and potential opportunities.
Porter's Five Forces analysis evaluates the influence of buyers and suppliers, helping stakeholders make strategic, profit-driven decisions and strengthen their supplier-buyer relationships.
A detailed examination of market segmentation helps identify existing and emerging opportunities.
Key countries within each region are analysed based on their revenue contributions to the overall market.
The positioning of market players enables effective benchmarking and provides clarity on their current standing within the industry.
The report covers regional and global market trends, major players, key segments, application areas, and strategies for market expansion. Show more