Biologicals are seeing growing demand—and growing clutter. For retailers, that means more products to evaluate, faster answers needed for growers, and an increasing expectation to connect biological inputs to real system outcomes.
On The Scoop Podcast, Rick Melnick, COO and Managing Partner of DunhamTrimmer, breaks down the biggest market shifts—and what retailers should do to stay confident in a rapidly evolving category.
This is a preview to his session at the upcoming ARA Conference and Expo:
“Breakout: Separating the Signal from the Noise in Biologicals”
Wednesday, December 2, 2026 — 1:30 PM to 2:45 PM
Click here to learn more and register
Why This Matters For Retailers Now
The biologicals market is growing quickly—and with that growth comes a flood of competing claims, products, and information. As Melnick puts it, the challenge is essentially: “separate the signal from the noise.”
Melnick points to “a huge change in the awareness and adoption of biological products by growers,” and explains what that translates to at retail: more trust, more data—and more questions at the counter.
He also explains the operational pressure retailers feel firsthand: “Every single retailer I’ve talked to… has told me it’s very difficult, if not impossible, to keep up with all of their requests.” Retailers don’t want to miss opportunities, but they also can’t afford to waste time evaluating products that won’t fit their customers or philosophy.
That’s why Melnick is focused on helping retailers build a repeatable way to evaluate biologicals with confidence—so they can have better conversations with growers and improve outcomes, not just move SKUs.
And importantly, he frames the category shift clearly: “Retailers are not selling products as much as they’re selling systems.” Biologicals, when used properly, can improve systems from a productivity and profitability standpoint—and support seed performance, soil health, stress management, and crop quality.
4 Key Trends in Biologicals
Adoption is increasing—and so is trust
Melnick notes the data suggests “between 50 and 60% of all growers are using at least one biological product.” He connects adoption to trust and evidence: “that means that there’s a lot more trust in biologicals… [and] there’s more data to support their use.” The result is a category where retailers are being asked to engage with buyers—and respond with confidence.
Some markets are maturing—while biologicals are expanding into row crops
On one hand, Melnick says “markets are beginning to mature… particularly in specialty crops.” Growth has slowed from earlier double-digit pace, even though the absolute value growth is still good.
On the other hand, he emphasizes that “biologicals are beginning to make big inroads into row crops,” supported by broader adoption—especially the learning that came from markets like Brazil, where biologicals demonstrated they can work in mainstream production systems.
Economic pressure and changing weather patterns affect performance and momentum
Melnick shares a practical reality retailers are seeing: after strong adoption in markets like Brazil, the market became flooded—creating “tremendous price pressure.” He also points out that while adoption may rise, financial models can lag when pricing pressures increase.
Weather is another major factor. Melnick says “weather has tremendous impact on the biologicals market.” Because biologicals are often used for abiotic stress management, changing climate conditions can directly influence real-world results—and how quickly the market grows.
Consolidation is happening—but innovation is still coming from smaller players
Melnick explains that after major suppliers entered through acquisition, the industry shifted dramatically—and he expects consolidation to continue. But he also stresses that “biocontrol and biostimulant innovation is still happening at the small company level.”
That means retailers will continue seeing new products and new claims coming to market—reinforcing the need for a framework to evaluate what’s supported by science.
