Essere Group presents “Biological is not all the same”, an educational campaign aimed at rural producers

Biological management is among the greatest agricultural needs of producers, making it essential that farming solutions are sustainable and guarantee the farmer's basic needs.

In terms of adoption in open areas and large crops, Brazil is one of the largest markets when it comes to the application of microorganisms in open areas and large crops. To get an idea of ​​the strength of the biological market, it is predicted that this market will grow, on average, 35% per year until 2025; and 25% by 2030.

According to Amália Borsari, executive director of biologicals at CropLife Brasil (CLB), an association that brings together institutions, companies and specialists who work in different essential areas of Brazilian agricultural production, including sustainable agricultural production, in recent years, the number and the variety of products for crop protection increased exponentially, the biological market alone reached a growth of 314%, considering the total number of products available in the country. By 2020, according to industry-based research, there was revenue in the order of R$1,179 billion; and, in Brazil today, there are more than 100 companies with registrations of active biological products.

Given the panorama, educating and raising awareness among farmers about what they must consider to achieve satisfactory results in the field is of fundamental importance. In line with this need, CropLife Brasil maintains the Good Practices Committee, whose objective is to provide education on the topic to farmers, highlighting what the main biological assets are and how to use them appropriately. “Biological is not just an organism taken from nature, it is necessary to enhance important processes for the viability of the product”, points out Borsari, who adds: “We are expanding discussions on regulations for new products; We understand the need for regulatory improvement of these products and the harmonization of procedures.”

Fully aligned with the revolution in the organic market, CLB also understands that technology and innovations are great allies of rural producers, in other words, they need to understand that technological dissemination based on science and assertive processes are definitely guarantees of quality in tip. This highlights the important role of education in this context of new technologies – CLB plans for 2022, face-to-face and online courses, lasting three hours, dedicated to organic products, with the aim of transmitting more knowledge and giving greater visibility to rural producers through partners. Also according to Amália Borsari, new manuals on organic products will be launched, including those divided by culture, as a way of deepening and clarifying imminent doubts on the part of the producer. “At the same time, CLB is already studying the possibility of companies and industries producing biological products undergoing an external audit and starting to have a quality seal, proving their commitment to the production process”, he predicts.

With the growth of this market, therefore, there is an increasing need for professionalization on the part of companies and industries that produce biological products. In line with this panorama, the Essere Group presents “Biological is not all the same”, an educational campaign aimed at rural producers. Marcos Roberto Conceschi, R&D Coordinator at Essere Group and one of the creators of this initiative, highlights that it is necessary to help the producer in understanding which products are serious, duly tested for their control effectiveness and stability in terms of quality. This is a fundamental step towards success in the field, as farmers still have many doubts about organic products. “We want farmers to understand the added value of a given organic product compared to products that do not adopt the same technology; whether a biologic has the right technology, which leads to good performance in the field; what are the points that must be analyzed to ensure that a certain biological product will or will not work on your crop; what are the benefits that a plantation is failing to receive; among other information that is totally relevant in this universe. All because a biological product must have a set of technologies to generate efficiency in the field so that it can effectively manage pests and diseases,” he explains.

“Biological is not all the same” highlights the eight fundamental steps in the production process and quality of biological products

1. Research to support products;

2. Collecting genetic material;

3. Strain screening;

4. Strengthening biologicals;

5. Packaging, storage and transport of biological products;

6. Quality and virulence of microbiologicals;

7. Application of biologicals;

8. Grease compatibility and timing of application.

New scientific research brings information about the world of organic products to farmers

Marcos Roberto Conceschi, Research & Development Coordinator at Essere Group, explains that a biological product must have a set of technologies to generate efficiency in the field so that the biological management of pests and diseases is successful. Take as an example the use of the fungus beauveria bassiana, microorganism that acts to cause a disease in the target pest, whose conidia, after germinating, cause their infective structures to penetrate the cuticle of insects or mites. Thus, the more conidia germinate on the pest's cuticle and the faster/more vigorous the germination and penetration process, the better the result found by the farmer. “However, the farmer needs to identify whether the beauveria bassiana that he will use in his farming is, in fact, the best and most suitable for his objective”, he advises.

Connected with scientific research dedicated to fungi-based biologicals, Marcos Rodrigues de Faria, PhD in Entomology, researcher at the Invertebrate Mycology Laboratory, at the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA), says that there are more than 200 fungi-based products fungi in Brazil and recalls: “It is a market with enormous potential, which since the end of the 1970s has even been seeking professionalization”.

He recently released a manual which notes the essential points for the production and formulation of biologicals based on entomopathogenic fungi. Entitled “Quality control of commercial fungi-based products for invertebrate management”, the manual contains a series of information that facilitates understanding for the farmer, as well as good practices in the production process. He clarifies that to better evaluate the quality of a fungus-based biological (as well as all biologicals) it is necessary to pay attention to the following parameters:

Rose Monnerat, Biologist, PhD in Invertebrate Pathology, researcher at Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, is adamant when mentioning the great need for production and quality control when thinking about the biological market. It exemplifies in the manual entitled “Manual for production and quality control of biological products based on bacteria of the genus Bacillus for use in agriculture” such as the production of biological products based on bacteria of the genus Bacillus must be carried out. 1- It must have an adequate physical structure, a production unit that is at least composed of four areas: utilities area; fermentation area; input stock area and finished product storage area, all in separate environments. 2- It is also important to have a quality control laboratory, which can be on-site or outsourced; 3- Have a suitable place to maintain the working collection - bacteria of the genus Bacillus they can be multiplied and stored on strips of filter paper, from a pure strain, requiring good identification and preservation of the strains in the production unit; 4- To grow these bacteria, you must have a suitable culture medium and a well-established production methodology. “The quality control of bioproducts is a fundamental step in the production process, whether in laboratories, large companies or on-farm biofactories. Quality control aims to evaluate the characteristics of bioproducts from different aspects, in order to guarantee their quality, safety and effectiveness”, he comments.

Fernando Hercos Valicente, agronomist, PhD in Entomology, researcher at Embrapa Milho e Sorgo, is a specialist and has in-depth studies on the use of biological control of pests with entomopathogenic viruses (Baculovirus) and draws attention to safety and quality issues in biological . He states that there cannot be any risk of contamination during the production process, and maximum hygiene and control are recommended on the premises of the factories where biological products are produced and handled. Hygiene issues are fundamental, starting from uniforms to the constant need to wash employees' hands. “The industry must be fully aware that avoiding contaminant problems is a daily struggle in this process”, he reinforces. It also advises that the standardization of the formulation of biological products must follow rigorous experimental and testing processes, steps necessary for registration with MAPA, IBAMA and ANVISA, regulatory bodies for biological products; he highlights that the work methodology is equally important and must be defined for each biological agent and an example for Baculovirus. “The industry, when starting work with a biological agent, needs to adjust production and evaluation methodologies in the laboratory and in the field, passing the product on to another company for testing for registration purposes,” he says. And he concludes that the farmer must be in tune with regards to the application and storage of organic products. “The multiplicative lectures at resellers are also essential so that the farmer can understand how to better manage his crops and understand the universe of organic products”.

For more details on the manuals mentioned above, access:

1- Quality control of commercial fungi-based products for the management of invertebrates (insects, mites, nematodes) in agricultural systems (https://ainfo.cnptia.embrapa.br/digital/bitstream/item/230164/1/doc377-vs10.pdf)

2- Manual for production and quality control of biological products based on bacteria of the genus Bacillus for use in agriculture (https://www.embrapa.br/en/search-for-publications/-/publication/1122563/manual-de-production-and-control-of-product-qualitybiological-basedbacteria-of-the-genus-bacillus-for-use-in-agriculture