Brazilian agricultural producers can count on an innovative biological technology to face the challenge of nematode management. The result of scientific research and proven effective in several crops, such as soybeans, corn, coffee and fruit and vegetables, Alltech Crop Science is launching Reliver at the 3th Brazilian Congress of Nematology, from September 39st to 1th, in Foz do Iguaçu (PR). Developed from an exclusive Alltech strain of the bacterium Bacillus subtilis, the bionematicide contributes to nematode management and soil balance, in addition to stimulating plant development.
Nematodes are parasites that attack plant roots and cause lesions that destroy root tissue, allowing fungi and bacteria to enter, which increase the damage and, consequently, reduce productivity. They are considered one of the main pathogens in agriculture, as they cause average losses of 10 to 15% in production, which can exceed 50% in crops such as soybeans and cotton.
“I have traveled a lot throughout Brazil in recent months and one issue that is constantly highlighted by producers is the presence of nematodes, which are a gateway for soil diseases, such as fungi, which aggravate the situation,” reports the agricultural engineer, researcher in the Plant Protection area at the Paraná Rural Development Institute (IDR-Paraná), professor of Phytopathology at UEL-IDR and post-doctorate in Nematology, Andressa Cristina Zamboni Machado.
The specialist emphasizes that the incidence of nematodes has increased from the North to the South of the country. “In 2010, when the surveys began, the problem was more evident in the Cerrado; but today I have seen many cases in the South and in new production areas, such as Piauí, Maranhão and Rondônia”, she observes. In the last harvest, Andressa points out, the unfavorable climate highlighted the problem even more and made producers see the damage caused by nematodes even in areas with excellent soil conditions.
According to the Brazilian Society of Nematology (SBN), losses due to nematodes over the last ten years amounted to R$374 billion. The organization estimates that total losses to Brazilian agriculture could reach R$870 billion over the next ten years – equivalent to an entire harvest per decade – if effective measures are not adopted. “What producers have been seeking most for nematode management is biological control, due to the efficiency of increasingly better products with modern formulations that, in addition to reducing the nematode population, offer other benefits to the plant, such as better rooting and greater productivity. This is a market that is here to stay and is only set to grow in Brazil,” says the nematologist.
As this is a very big challenge, with some species of nematodes being very aggressive, the focus for control is integrated management, highlights the agricultural engineer Mayra Soares (in the video), PhD in Plant Protection with a focus on Nematology and technical manager at Alltech Crop Science. “The main nematodes are native to the soil and have increasingly become a problem due to their very rapid multiplication,” she ponders.
According to the expert, correct management begins with the choice of cultivar. “In areas with a large number of nematodes, the producer needs to focus on resistance (low multiplication factor) and not just on productivity,” she says. In addition, she mentions that in high nematode populations, it is recommended to use chemical or enzymatic molecules, together with bionematicides, to reduce the number of pathogens in the soil.
Among the biologicals available for nematode control, the difference in Alltech's new solution is the construction of the product. "In addition to the exclusive strain of bacteria Bacillus subtilis “According to the company, Reliver has a unique combination: 3% endospore, lyophilized and with lactose. R100V technology summarizes the aspects of the microbiological nematicide: Resistance, Efficiency and Viability”, details Mayra.
The endospore is a resistant bacterial structure that makes it tolerant to adverse environments and conditions. In turn, freeze-drying consists of removing water from the microorganism and leaving it dormant until it is rehydrated, which ensures high storage viability. Meanwhile, lactose is an energy source, which guarantees the organic material necessary to feed the microorganism even in adverse soil or climate conditions. As a preventive tool, the recommendation is to use Reliver in the initial planting phase, either in the furrow or via "Plant and Apply", always targeting the soil.
The available results prove the effectiveness of Reliver in different crops. Field work carried out in soybean crops, in partnership with UEM in Maringá, indicates that plants inoculated with Meloidogyne incognita showed better growth and development of the root system when the new microbiological nematicide was used. The fresh root mass of inoculated plants after 60 days was 8,2 g without application of biological products and 10,2 g with Reliver.
In tomato crops, studies carried out in Tibagi and Imbituva (PR) reveal that the application of Reliver contributed to a reduction in Meloidogyne incognita in the soil of 44% in relation to the control and an increase in productivity of 1.515 kg/ha. While for the lettuce crop, a study carried out in Colorado (PR) showed a 62,5% drop in the nematode population in the first 15 days after application of the product.
Receive the latest agriculture news by email
Receive the latest agriculture news by email
