The 2022 São Paulo Phytopathology Congress was held at Embrapa Meio Ambiente, in Jaguariúna (SP), on September 14th and 15th and debated the biological control of plant diseases and the soil microbiome, which are transforming agricultural crops.
In its 42nd edition, the event brought together more than 250 participants, including representatives from academia, students, public and private institutions and partner companies and featured 13 guest speakers who presented and discussed relevant topics of interest to the scientific and technological community.
On the first day it was emphasized that biological is the largest market in the world and companies need to become independent so that this technology is genuinely Brazilian, in addition to the importance of the biological part of the soil, since its formation, seeking management strategies to increase quality soil and agronomic performance.
Another important point highlighted is that the soil needs to be managed to maintain good diversity so that plants can select beneficial organisms that help them grow.
A summary of the requirements of the regulatory scheme for biological products in the Agrochemicals Law, regulated by Mapa, Anvisa and Ibama, shows that the government has prioritized the analysis of these low-impact products, with a dedicated team carrying out this evaluation in the best possible period and approval 8 to 10 months on average, one of the best terms compared to other countries. The number of approved products has increased substantially in recent years. There were 92 products last year and 60 this year, until August. Probably in 2022 the country will experience records in registration records.
The history of test results from the Biological Control Test Network for White Mold in Soybeans showed the importance of choosing not only products, but also antagonists to carry out biological control of this important disease in the crop, where it is estimated that around 27% of soybeans in Brazil are infested with this fungus. Losses range from around 30% to up to 70% and biological control is one of the control measures that must be integrated with others, since none of them individually are efficient.
The operation of micro and nanoencapsulated formulations of bioagents is a window of opportunity to use the same reasoning as solid formulations to convey nitrogen, potassium and other fertilizers, using approximately the same logic to protect microorganisms. There was a need to protect these microorganisms against UV action, improve their delivery to the field, such as, for example, avoiding exudation and attack by other microorganisms.
It was discovered that the best strategy was to replace encapsulation materials with starch, other polymers of renewable origin, phosphate rocks, potassium rocks, micronutrients and even more sophisticated materials such as nanocelluloses, for systems with some greater specificities to facilitate application, allowing the administration of the bioagent in solid form directly to the root, facilitating its multiplication.
On the second day, the opportunities for open innovation in the area of production and commercialization of biological inputs were discussed, with new paradigms of partnerships, universe and the need to connect all the dots – development of assets, incorporation of new products into the market and insertion in Public Policies – in the architecture of the new circular economy.
A study of the soil microbiome and the occurrence of phytopathogens and antagonists in several areas of agricultural production was also shown, which demonstrated the need to recover soil biodiversity through appropriate management and the incorporation of biological-based inputs to replace the traditional model. .
Questions about the production and use of biological bioinputs in the control of diseases in large crops, critical analysis of on-farm production, the need to carry out a reference specification and the opportunity to carry out biocontrol of weeds were also debated on the last day of the congress .
At the end of the event, the assembly of the Associação Paulista de Phytopathologia was held.
The São Paulo Phytopathology Prize is given to people who have contributed significantly to the development of the topic. Elke Cardoso, from the Agronomic Institute, received the award for 2019. Kátia Brunelli Braga received it for 2021.
The Summa Phytopathologica Award is annual and awarded to the best scientific work published in this journal. Regarding 2020, it went to Ícaro Fier, Thiado Balsalobre, Roberto Chapola, Hernannhoffmann and Monalisa Carneiro for their work Field resistance gene linked to G1 marker in Brazilian cultivar of sugarcane.
Regarding 2021, it went to Renato Braga and Marcelo Pavan for their work Pepper resistance to PEP YMV-LINS and obtaining resistant hybrids. The congress had the support of Fundag and the sponsoring companies Agrivalle, Biotrop, Jacto, Orion, Sakata, Vigna Brasil and Vittia.
Embrapa Meio Ambiente played a relevant role in the history of research with microorganisms in Brazil, which includes the biodegradation and bioremediation of pesticides and bioprospecting of microorganisms for the exploration of Brazilian biodiversity. The studies carried out by the body of researchers were, over time, quite contributory to the development of biological control in the country, which, in addition to research and publications on the subject, contributed by training and training postgraduate and doctoral students and also by participating in discussions on legislation. with state and federal control bodies. Finally, he made a relevant contribution to the creation of the Brazilian Association of Biological Control Companies – ABCBIO.
To improve the quality of research in the area of microbiology in the search for new inputs, Embrapa Meio Ambiente has a rich diversity of microorganisms of high agricultural and environmental importance. These are osmotic microorganisms isolated from the Caatinga, psychrophilic bacteria from Antarctica, halophilic bacteria from mangroves, cellulolytic fungi from the Amazon and bacteria involved in the degradation of petroleum and xenobiotics. In the search for new biotechnological applications, the collection presents itself as a provider of multifunctional microbial research aimed at discovering new compounds of agricultural, environmental and industrial importance.
As researcher Rodrigo Mendes points out, although the bioimport sector has grown exponentially in recent years, it is still supported by a very limited number of microbial strains. “For this reason, the continued growth of the sector depends on expanding the diversity of microorganisms used as bioproducts. With a history of bioprospecting projects in various biomes, Embrapa Meio Ambiente maintains the Collection of Microorganisms - CMAA, with hundreds of microorganisms, which represents a “gold mine” for the development of new bioproducts,” said Mendes.
From actinobacteria isolates from the CMAA collection, potentially active in the biological control of plant pathogens and in promoting plant growth in dry soils, the first bacterial inoculant was born to promote growth and protect plants against drought, subsequently generating the Auras product, developed in partnership between Embrapa and the company NOOA Ciência e Tecnologia Agrícola.
Laura Bononi, Research and Development Manager at NOOA, emphasizes that Auras emerged from a partnership with Embrapa that lasted from 2017 to 2021, when the product was finally ready for the market, but before that there had already been 12 years of study with microorganisms in Embrapa.
“I think this already shows the potential of the microorganism and today Auras is very important for the company, as it has the seal of Embrapa technology, a fact that adds a lot, as it gives a lot of results when applied to plants under conditions of abiotic stress and especially stress water, which denotes that this partnership is extremely important, from the point of view of product quality and results. Producers who use the product report satisfaction with the results in the field”, he concludes.
The Congress also served to align data on the evolution of the bioinput market, presented by Cristiano Limberger from Spark Intelligence Estratégica. The numbers show growth in the organic sector of 42% in the last 6 harvests, considering the main crops – soybeans, corn and sugarcane.
Trichodermma is the most used biological principle, treating 8,36 million hectares and showing growth of more than 54% from 2018 to 2022.
Bacillus subtilis achieved more significant growth in the period, increasing 30% and now totaling more than 3,4% of hectares treated
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