New strains of Azospirillum brasilense

Brazil, with its immense territory, presents an enormous diversity of climate and soils, which leads to a diversity of flora and fauna. Of course, in crops destined for food, fiber and fuel, we also have different aptitudes for different genera and species of plants.

This diversity also requires that we have, in the technologies used in agriculture, various managements and different types of inputs, which adapt more efficiently to different biomes.

It is no different with microorganisms used in agriculture. We must make a wide range of organic products available to farmers that will provide the highest productivity, increasing farmers' income.

In the particular case of inoculants based on azospirillum, initially used in grasses and soon extending to the practice of coinoculation in soybeans, we once again have the highly positive effect of the association between official research and inoculant producing companies in the generation of efficient products for the farmer. The two strains of Az. brasilense were presented by Embrapa Soja and UFPR at RELARE in 2005, and went into production in 2009, with the launch of the first inoculant with AbV5 and AbV6 bacteria on the Brazilian market, a product developed by a private company. The results in crops were immediately promising and have now reached high levels of use by corn growers and in soybean inoculation.

But, as we said at the beginning, Brazil is too diverse and we need a greater supply of inputs. Aiming to increase the greatest diversity of strains, UFPR, through the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, selected three new genetic materials, with ten times greater potential for ammonia production, according to tests carried out in the laboratory.

In agreement with the researchers, ANPII signed a contract for the acquisition of new strains, called HM 053 and HM 210, with the purpose of developing an inoculant formulation and carrying out field tests to determine the agronomic efficiency of the new material, essential condition to obtain registration with the Ministry of Agriculture. In consultation with the ministry, the association was authorized to develop a base product and carry out a field test within the official protocol and, if the result was compliant, the associated companies would start producing the inoculant with these new strains.

The development of the product occurred in a way that was practically unprecedented in Brazil: a strategic technological alliance was formed between the companies and a base product was developed in joint work between the R&D departments of the nine companies then associated with ANPII. Two working groups were formed, one related to R&D itself and the other to discuss regulatory aspects.

The companies understood the great advantages arising from the alliance, whether in the development part, with the exchange of information that did not represent industrial secrets and, mainly, by diluting the high costs of agronomic efficiency tests. Instead of each company bearing these costs, they were diluted among the associates.

Once a base product was formulated, field trials were contracted for registration, between several universities and research centers, to test the product, comparing it with the product already registered and used commercially, in four edafo climatic regions.

The first test, to verify the effect of the new product on soy coinoculation, showed excellent results, comparable to those of products already on the market. As a result, after several DNA analysis tests on the new strains, clearly demonstrating their differentiation from those already on the market, Mapa authorized the registration.

Companies are registering, now individually, and after this phase, the alliance ends and each enters the market on its own, with its entire marketing structure. This represents an advantage for the farmer, as instead of having just one brand being offered, several brands with the same strains will be available simultaneously.

Therefore, two aspects must be highlighted in this work: one, which shows that cooperative work between companies is possible and brings several good results and, second, that new genetic materials are being made available to farmers, expanding their right to choice.

By Solon C. Araujo, Advisor to ANPII

Published in issue 295 of Cultivar Grandes Culturas Magazine

See more information at: "Map records two new strains of Azospirillum brasilense".