UPL global leaders visit IB and learn about biological control research

Global leaders from the Indian multinational UPL visited the Biological Control Reference Laboratory Unit of the Biological Institute (IB-APTA), of the Secretariat of Agriculture and Supply of the State of São Paulo, on October 23. The delegation was formed by the Global CEO, Jai Shroff, the Global COO of Strategy, Innovation and Integration, Carlos Pellicer, in addition to the Global Business Development - Director, Bharat Dutia, the CEO Brazil, Fabio Torretta, and the Global Program Lead - Strategy & Innovation, Gilson Oliveira and Carlos Fabri. They learned about IB's research in the area of ​​biological control, a market that grows approximately 20% per year in Brazil.

The Biological Institute is a reference in Brazil and abroad in research into biological control, a sustainable technology that involves the use of natural enemies to control a certain pest or disease. IB has been carrying out research in biological control for 50 years and has technological solutions for the application of bio-consumptions to important pests of sugar cane, soybeans, bananas, rubber trees, vegetables, strawberries and flowers. In total, 80 Brazilian companies that produce bioinputs use strains selected by the Institute or have undergone training at the institution.

UPL Global CEO Jai Sroff said he was impressed by IB's research and its practical applications. "When we visit research institutions, we usually don't see the application of the solutions generated in as practical a way as we saw here," he said.

"UPL's visit to IB was very productive. The company is in more than 130 countries and develops actions that are very convergent with the research work of the Biological Institute. We will certainly be able to develop many projects together", celebrated Ana Eugênia de Carvalho Campos, director -general of the IB.

New moment for partnerships

The IB director explained to UPL leaders the new moment in which research institutions in the State of São Paulo are experiencing to develop projects together with the private sector, a result of recent federal and state legislation that allowed greater interaction and partnership between the institutes public and the productive sector.

Ana also explained about the proposal of the Problem-Oriented Research Center in the State of São Paulo (NPOP) of the IB to respond to a notice launched by the São Paulo State Research Support Foundation (FAPESP), which has as its theme the development of bioproducts for tropical agriculture. The Center led by the Instituto Biológico has the support of around 20 companies and research institutions from Brazil and abroad and is aimed at solving, collaboratively, the main problems of the activity in Brazil. The proposal is being analyzed by FAPESP.

According to Carlos Pellicer, this model of working together with the private sector to innovate is very important, as it creates the so-called virtuous circle, where the resources achieved through the payment of royalties for technologies are invested in new research, bringing new results to the sector. productive. "I saw here a team of researchers who are motivated and interested in developing technologies that can improve the world. Viable innovations are developed here for more sustainable production, something that is very connected with the purposes of UPL. I have no doubt that we will do many projects together ", he stated.

According to Fabio Torretta, UPL is aware of the need to integrate two worlds that seemed different, that of biological and chemical products. "We see a great opportunity in working together with the Biological Institute," he said.

Visit

The UPL leaders were welcomed by Antonio Batista Filho, coordinator of the São Paulo Agribusiness Technology Agency (APTA), responsible for coordinating the six Institutes and 11 Regional Agricultural Research Centers in the State of São Paulo. "It is no surprise that Brazil practices the best tropical agriculture on the planet. Our results are based on science and APTA's research units have contributed very significantly to this. If we add up the age of these units, we will have more than 500 years in agricultural research", stated Batista Filho, who has been a researcher at IB for 37 years and has always worked in biological control.

IB researcher José Eduardo Marcondes de Almeida told visitors that ULR - Biological Control, which is linked to the Institute's Advanced Center for Research in Plant Protection and Animal Health, was created 50 years ago. Its results are spread over more than two million hectares cultivated with sugar cane in Brazil, three million hectares of soybeans, 2.500 hectares of ornamental plants and strawberries, in addition to a thousand hectares cultivated with bananas.

IB researchers presented their research projects and applications to visitors, who saw the Institute's entire laboratory structure.