The history of a company arises from a purpose. But it merges, over the years, with the history of its collaborators and, even more so, in the case of Biotrigo, with the entire evolution of a culture. Strengthening wheat cultivation has always been one of the purposes of the brothers Ottoni Rosa Filho and André Cunha Rosa, founding partners of Biotrigo Genética, which celebrates 10 years of history this April. Located in Passo Fundo, northern region of Rio Grande do Sul, and with a branch in Campo Mourão, Paraná, the company serves several states in Brazilian territory, in addition to exporting its wheat cultivars to Mercosur countries and North America. Currently, it has around 72% of the Brazilian market share.
The businessman and breeder brothers are from a second generation of the family dedicated to wheat farming. Since childhood, they followed wheat research with their father Ottoni Rosa and, after graduating in agronomic engineering, they became partners in the company OR Sementes. Years later, the company went through a split and the brothers founded Biotrigo Genética in 2008. The foundation's objective was to deliver safer and more complete wheat to producers. “We believed that, through our knowledge and forming a good team, we would be able to evolve even further in wheat farming. But, to achieve this, it was necessary to focus more on genetic improvement and management”, says Ottoni.
The new company started with just eight people: the founders and six other employees. The first cultivar launched exclusively by Biotrigo, in 2010, was called TBIO Pioneiro 2010. Its strong vigor provided good results even in areas of lower fertility. Then, in the same year, TBIO Tibagi was launched – a whitening wheat flour bread.
“Our objective was to open a range of new opportunities and research development to boost the scientific and technological development of Brazilian wheat farming. And we are sure that in this first decade, we have evolved a lot. We have greater management capacity, greater capacity to plant and harvest experiments, to multiply new strains, to serve our direct and indirect customers, to develop new businesses and, especially, greater capacity to generate knowledge within wheat breeding”, reports Ottoni.
Recognition
Always following technological developments, in 2012 the company formalized a negotiation with one of the largest agribusiness companies in the world, Bayer CropScience. At the time, Biotrigo was already recognized for its yields, industrial quality and resistance to diseases. The cooperation agreement allowed, under certain conditions, the use of Biotrigo's germplasm bank in countries where the company does not operate in wheat. “Biotrigo is a global leader in combining grain yield and industrial quality with resistance to difficult-to-control diseases. And this leadership will support us in continuing our expansion in Europe and emerging markets”, stated, at the time, Edward Souza, Global Director of Wheat Improvement at Bayer.
Energy Efficiency
The agreement with Bayer enabled more than a partnership with a global company: it financed Biotrigo's physical expansion. Created in a 600 m² building, the company's new structure, opened in 2015, covers more than 14 hectares and 6 thousand square meters of built area. The administrative building was considered a reference in energy efficiency, being the first commercial building labeled in Rio Grande do Sul and the first building in the agribusiness sector in Brazil to comply with all items of efficient use of natural resources (water, light, ventilation) , reducing waste and impacts on the environment. Biotrigo achieved the National Energy Conservation Label (ENCE) for Level A Constructed Buildings. This certification, which was granted by Inmetro and Eletrobrás/Procel Edifica, classified the level of energy consumption of the administrative building as the most economical.
In addition to the administrative unit, the headquarters also has a set of laboratories for seeds, phytopathology, quality and biotechnology with a total area of 700 square meters. In the two barns, which total almost 3 thousand square meters, experimental and genetic seeds are stored. The greenhouse area covers approximately 11 thousand square meters.
Evolution through partnerships
In 2017, Biotrigo became a partner in the agricultural machinery manufacturer, Montagner Indústria de Máquinas, also from Passo Fundo/RS. The society's objective is to strengthen agriculture through solutions that can generate better results in the field. “Many problems in wheat cultivation cannot be solved with genetics, but with machines that Montagner has the capacity to make”, highlights André.
Another great achievement was the partnership established with the largest agricultural cooperative in Latin America, Coamo Agroindustrial Cooperativa, located in Campo Mourão, Paraná. According to the cooperative's Vice-President Director, Cláudio Francisco Bianchi Rizzatto, Brazilian wheat has undergone a huge evolution in the last decade and one of the most important factors is the alignment that exists today between the agronomic characteristics of the cultivars, the industrial quality of the material and demand from mills and consumers. “Biotrigo is focused on this alignment, working hard to meet industrial demand and at the same time evolving a lot in the agronomic characteristics that are also fundamental for the farmer. With the partnership with Biotrigo, we are able to offer our members cultivars with agronomic characteristics that meet the needs of each situation and also meet the industrial quality required by the end consumer. Biotrigo’s portfolio of cultivars is designed for the reality of wheat farming and Brazilian wheat farmers”, says Cláudio.
Challenge: complete wheats
Every year, at least one new variety of wheat is released onto the market. The big challenge is precisely to make the cultivars combine safety, productivity and quality, that is, increasingly complete. “With each launch we make, we see an evolution. Since 2010, there has been important progress from what was harvested to what is cultivated today. There is no point in having excellence in just one characteristic. Putting everything good in one product is the biggest challenge. What we want is for the farmer, with increasing security, to arrive at the end of the year and realize that the wheat was a good deal and for him to plant again”, says Ottoni.
This satisfaction was approved by the producers. The TBIO Toruk cultivar, the first Brazilian cultivar with the introduction of French genetics, was widely accepted by the market and was sown in more than 20% of the country's wheat areas in 2017. Among its differences, wheat reaches higher production ceilings, It has greater stability in production, has excellent tolerance to germination on the cob, lodging and various diseases. "With the introduction of French genetics into the breeding program, we were able to make a leap in genetic potential, quality and mainly yield, because we were able to develop wheat with agronomic characteristics superior to other cultivars", highlights Ottoni. Currently the company has a portfolio of 15 wheat cultivars, including new projects focused on animal feed and the production of special flours.
Market vision and focus on disease control
For the owner of Êxito Pesquisa & Consultoria Agronomia, Lucas Bochnia, in recent years several launches of Biotrigo materials have provided quality, technology and high production ceilings. “The positioning of materials with advanced technology, high production ceilings and different skills allowed producers to obtain greater security, allowing us to introduce wheat back into the rotation, in a sustainable way”.
The rural producer, from Buri/SP, Frederico d'Avila, reveals that the research carried out by Biotrigo in the last decade has added to his business and the region in which he operates in several ways, through the inclusion of wheat cultivation in the crop rotation ; in maintaining the Straw Direct Planting System (SPDP); weed control and the participation of specific segments of materials demanded by the milling industry. “Through a lot of research and exclusive dedication to wheat farming, Biotrigo has brought together a team of wheat lovers, the best between field, research and industry needs”.
From another wheat-growing region of the country, the agronomist at the Agricultural Cooperative of the Federal District Region, Cláudio Malinski, comments on the company's great contribution to improving the quality of wheat. “We see in TBIO cultivars a priority for health, non-germination of the cob, quality of the cob and also resistance to blast and Fusarium head blight, in addition to the intrinsic aspects of the grain, such as gluten strength, stability, farinography, industrial yield that is essential, especially with TBIO Noble, which is a whiter flour compared to national wheats”.
For Maurício Ghiraldelli, from Correcta Alimentos, a company based in São Paulo, it was precisely the fact that Biotrigo perceived the chain as a whole that most contributed to the evolution and industrial quality of wheat in Brazil. “Biotrigo was one of the only research companies to see the market in a more macro way, that is, the chain as a whole. Before, it was observed in the market that research was closely linked to production and, therefore, we had major problems with the lack of liquidity in the sale of wheat in recent years, wheat generally did not meet industrial demand”, he observes.
A walk built in collaboration
Biotrigo's genetic improvement work requires many years of research and a complete and motivated technical team so that the best results reach customers. Today, the team has more than 60 employees widely engaged with the company's mission. Proof of this is revealed in organizational climate surveys, carried out annually with all employees, where 92,7% reported being motivated to work and 98% stated that Biotrigo has credibility with customers and is recognized by the community. Considering the general satisfaction index from the climate survey, the company achieved great progress, going from 72% in 2013, 80% in 2014 and, in 2017, reaching an average of 88% among employees. “There is no doubt that someone who is excited has new ideas. All of this means that better wheat reaches the seed producer, then the grain producer, the mills with better quality flour and, finally, the consumer's table”, says André.
This investment in people and concern for the growth and satisfaction of each employee played an essential role in the company's growth, but also in the development of Brazilian triticulture. “Germplasm is an important aspect for our company, without a doubt, but another aspect of equal value is the team we managed to form. It is the technical and professional performance of our employees that guarantees the security that Biotrigo will move forward”, he states.
The key to success, for him, is that the entire chain, from the Biotrigo employee; the farmer; resales; the mills and industries, be well and successful. “In this long journey, we learned from our partners that it was no use just serving the farmer, but the entire chain. This understanding was very important for our success”, concludes André.
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