From chemicals to biologicals, breeding plants for transformative, sustainable agriculture

The global agricultural sector remains heavily dependent on agrochemicals to ensure food production. Meanwhile, the world, particularly Europe, is embarking on a transition toward more sustainable agriculture. Agricultural biologicals—naturally derived products that enhance or sustain crop production—augment diverse biological processes within plants and their ecosystems, which can enhance plant resilience, physiology, and growth. However, the effective use of biologicals on farms remains uncertain, mostly due to the observed variable efficacy. Biologicals’ efficacy depends on four intertwined elements: the type of biological, the type of plant stress, environment, and plant genetic makeup. Evidence indicates that cultivar choice plays a decisive role in biologicals’ efficacy, yet understanding how the genetics of chosen plant cultivars influence outcomes remains a critical and underexplored knowledge gap. More knowledge on the genetic basis of plant responses to biologicals is needed to define, regulate, and use biologicals efficiently. This viewpoint introduces agricultural biologicals and argues for cultivar-aware evaluation and genetics-informed breeding to deliver more predictable biologicals and reduce agrochemical dependence.