Biological inoculant increases productivity by up to 8,7 bags per hectare in soybeans

Tradecorp, a Brazilian company part of the ROVENSA Group, a leading Portuguese holding in sustainable agriculture, launches Phós’Up, a biological inoculant capable of increasing the productivity of soybean crops by up to 8,7 bags per hectare. The product is the first on the market registered for foliar spray application.

Tradecorp's technical coordinator, Fernando Bonafé, explains that with the current global geopolitical situation, the dependence of the Brazilian agricultural market on imported inputs, especially traditional sources of base fertilizers (NPK), has become evident. “The search for alternatives to fertilizers containing NKP and new technologies that help plants optimize the use of nutrients provided has become a focus for nutrition companies to help producers in the current situation of high prices and fertilizer shortages.”

“Brazilian soils, for the most part, are acidic and nutritionally poor, requiring heavy base fertilizers (NPK) annually so that they can be cultivated”, comments Fernando. In this context, Phosphorus (P) is one of the main macronutrients required by crops. It is used by plants to form ATP (adenosine triphosphate), which is the main source of energy for carrying out essential processes for plants such as photosynthesis, cell division, transport of photoassimilates, among others so that good productivity is possible. . In the soil, Phosphorus has different dynamics depending on the form in which it appears. In the inorganic form of phosphate anions, it can be easily immobilized in the soil by precipitation processes with cations such as Fe3+ and Al3+ or adsorption by iron and aluminum oxides, making it unavailable to plants.

With the launch of Phós’Up, Fernando explains that it is possible to make phosphorus available from the soil and optimize its use when added to the soil in the form of phosphate fertilizers. “Tradecorp brings this biological innovation to the Brazilian market, which can make crops more sustainable and productive. The biological inoculant Phós’UP, formulated with the bacteria Pseudomonas fluorescens, has a high ability to solubilize phosphorus and promote plant growth.”

Phós'Up was extensively tested and evaluated throughout Brazil in the 2020 and 2021 harvests, and its registration was granted for soybean cultivation in January 2022. “The registration results proved the efficiency of the product in two forms of application: in the traditional seed treatment and another innovation that the product brings, which is inoculation via foliar spraying. It is the first product on the market to be registered for this type of application and use.”

The coordinator also states that the future of agricultural production is increasingly present, with innovative biological technologies that allow us to produce more with less, in a natural and sustainable way. “We aim to make technologies available to the Brazilian market that promote the greatest productive potential of crops with environmental and economic sustainability in the best partnership with the producer.”

Studies with Phós’Up

The results of research carried out by IFGoiano (Rio Verde – GO campus) showed a difference between treatments of up to 8,7 bags per ha of productivity in soybean crops with inoculation via foliar spraying with Phós’UP. In the general average of product registration work, there was an increase of 5,0 bags per ha with inoculation with Phós’UP.

Therefore, the use of these technologies can optimize the application of phosphate fertilizers and improve nutrition through greater access to phosphorus in the soil that was unavailable to plants.

Research carried out by UFTPR (Dois Vizinhos campus – PR) in soybean cultivation using the biological inoculant Phós'UP (Pseudomonas fluorescens) in association with the inoculants of Atmo (Bradyrhizobium japonicum) and Azzofix (Azospirillum brasiliense), showed that there is synergy in this joint inoculation via seed treatment, delivering increased productivity.

The joint inoculation of microorganisms with different functionalities allows action on the most important nutrients. In this case, Phosphorus through the use of Phós’UP, Nitrogen through the use of Atmo and Azzofix, therefore a production system, more sustainable and with less dependence on traditional fertilizers.