A Lincolnshire company will celebrate 18 years of promoting biostimulants to UK farmers at this year's Midlands Machinery Show (8 and 9 November, Newark Showground).

MJP Supplies, based near Spalding, has been using Algifol, a seaweed-based biostimulant, since 2005 and will be celebrating the milestone on stand 5 in JCH2 at this year's show.

After using the biostimulant for two years and seeing the benefits to potatoes, sugar beet, wheat and vining peas first hand, Marcus Palmer, owner of MJP Supplies, secured the UK distribution rights from German company Neomed Pharma in 2007.

"I don't really know where the time has gone!" says Marcus. "It has passed so quickly. It's very pleasing to be marking 18 years of promoting and selling Algifol to UK growers. I think the use of biostimulants, a bit like my milestone, is coming of age.

"Growers are facing very high fertiliser prices and looking at ways of reducing their costs. Over the last few years, there has been increased interest in using natural products to help improve crop establishment, disease resistance and overall quality and yields. Both of these trends have pushed biostimulants into the limelight."

Neomed Pharma says the biostimulant is a natural nitrogen source due to the high presence of amino acids and peptides. This makes Algifol ideal for combined use with reduced amounts of N fertiliser. When used with a reduced amount of fertiliser, Algifol naturally improves the nitrogen use efficiency of the crop, producing a better yield and reducing the use of costly fertilisers.

"Things were very different when I started promoting Algifol," Marcus continues. "Back in 2005, many people were sceptical, and it was a hard sell. Things have definitely changed, and this year and last have been exceptionally good for us!"

Derived from brown algae, which is dried and refined, Algifol is an entirely natural liquid boasting a wealth of trace elements, vitamins, enzymes, amino acids, carbohydrates, polyuronides and growth-regulating plant hormones.

Marcus and the growers who apply Algifol have enjoyed numerous benefits, from improved crop establishment, greater resistance to extreme weather conditions like drought and heavy rain, and increased yields.

As well as distributing Algifol, Mr Palmer also represents Enduramaxx tanks and sells a wide variety of sprayers, pressure washers and protective clothing, all of which will be promoted at the Midlands Machinery Show next month.

For more information about Algifol and MJP Supplies' other product ranges, visit www.mjpsupplies.co.uk , call 07702 293 727 or email marcus@mjpsupplies.co.uk .