Treat nutrients as signals rather than inputs.
For more than 150 years, plant nutrition has focused on balancing macronutrients, micronutrients and secondary nutrients. This practice has served agriculture well, but scientific breakthroughs in the area of nutrigenomics are reshaping how growers, agronomists and researchers understand and apply nutrients.
Nutrigenomics is the study of how nutrients interact with a plant’s genetic makeup to influence growth, resilience and yield. Combined with an emphasis on soil health and increased precision application, it is rapidly changing how crops are grown, especially in terms of optimizing plant performance regardless of environmental conditions, nutrient use efficiency and a grower’s bottom line.
This research can identify, at the molecular level, which genes are being activated, allowing researchers to design nutrition programs that enhance that process.
And there’s more. This precision goes beyond delivering nutrients. It’s about triggering the plant’s natural, inherent internal pathways that govern growth rate, stress tolerance and yield capacity. The result: smarter inputs, stronger plants and more efficient use of every nutrient applied.
“By understanding how certain nutrients optimize plant pathways, researchers and agronomists can design crop programs that go far beyond conventional, broad-based approaches,” explains Tim Eyrich, vice president of Innovation and Agronomy at HELM Crop Solutions. “This work allows us to tailor strategies to a crop’s genetics and the conditions it encounters. But these innovations only succeed with thoughtful application and informed research support, both central to how HELM operates. Your crop’s potential is written in its DNA; we help unlock it.”
Understanding how nutrition influences gene expression changes how growers manage crop development. This approach optimizes a plant’s inherent genetic code, allowing growers to fine-tune nutrition for improved performance.
In short, nutrigenomics treats nutrients as signals rather than as inputs, operating from the inside out. The right combination can influence plant and soil health, growth, stress tolerance and more.
“For instance, Sycon is a game-changer in crop development, offering farmers an efficient solution to optimize their fields,” says Eyrich. “By leveraging proprietary metabolites, it delivers a unique nutritional complex designed to optimize plant development across any growing condition, proactively mitigate stresses and support nutrient efficiency to help crops thrive in adverse and positive conditions, contributing to the success of crops from seed to harvest.”
Managing plant stress
Scientists have identified nutrient blends that trigger beneficial gene expression patterns, leading to improved root development, enhanced photosynthetic efficiency and increased resilience under stress conditions — by driving amino acid production to support plant strength and reinforce the plant’s immune system. Nutrients aren’t inputs anymore; they are genetic catalysts.
Understanding which nutrients activate which genes helps growers customize applications for specific goals, such as:
- Strengthening season-long soil-plant interactions by activating pathways that support root development and allow plants to fully express their genetic potential.
- Enhancing plant cell structure, photosynthetic activity and nitrogen conversion through nutrient-driven gene activation tied to growth and protein formation.
- Conditioning plants’ natural defense mechanisms by delivering targeted nutrition that boosts vitality and stress resilience.
- Mitigating biotic and abiotic stress and improving nutrient efficiency by triggering gene responses that help crops remain vigorous regardless of conditions.
For growers and agriculture professionals, this shift represents both a scientific and storytelling opportunity. It doesn’t replace traditional agronomy — it elevates it. Soil health and N-P-K remain critical, but nutrigenomics adds a new dimension: understanding how to engage the plant’s genetic code for optimal performance.
“We’re addressing critical aspects of plant nutrition, like making nitrogen more accessible and profitable for farmers,” says Eyrich. “Unlocking efficient nitrogen assimilation, for example, empowers plants to thrive, ultimately contributing to increased crop productivity and overall farm success.”
Video: Nutrigenomics deep dive
In summary
- Nutrigenomics is transforming plant management by treating nutrients as genetic signals that influence growth, stress tolerance and yield.
- Breakthrough insights reveal which nutrients activate key genes, enabling precision nutrition programs that strengthen roots, improve efficiency and boost resilience.
- HELM Crop Solutions is advancing this next-generation approach, pairing research-driven tools with practical applications to unlock a crop’s full genetic potential.
Contact your local HELM representative or agronomist to learn more about HELM's Plant Advantage portfolio and how it could work for you.
You can also take one or more of HELM's online learning modules, which cover Plant Advantage topics.