Meeting promotes debate on the potential of microbial inoculants in Brazil

The 20th Meeting of the Network of Laboratories for Recommendation, Standardization and Dissemination of Microbial Inoculant Technologies of Agricultural Interest (Relare) will be held on June 25th and 26th, starting at 8:30 am, at Buffet Planalto, in Londrina (PR), to debate the results and advances of research into microbiological inoculants of agricultural interest and support research planning and technology transfer.

The expectation is to bring together around 200 participants, including researchers, professors, technicians, rural producers and representatives of the national bio-input industries, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock and other entities. “Relare aims to help transfer research results to industry; help standardize rules for the certification of quality organic products; stimulate the national market by promoting the use of new products and support the dissemination of new technologies associated with the use of microorganisms that promote plant growth in Brazil”, highlights Embrapa Soja researcher Marco Antonio Nogueira, president of Relare.

The opening lecture to be held on the 25th, at 8:45 am, will provide an overview of Inoculants for Brazil and the world, with emphasis on the productive and competitive capacity of the national industry and will be given by Solon Cordeiro Araújo, Advisor to the Association National Association of Inoculant Producers and Importers (ANPII). According to an ANPII survey, the biological inoculants sector has shown continued growth over the last 4 years, with an annual average of 14,7%, with soybeans being the one that most adopts this technology.

In 2023, companies sold around 141 million doses of inoculants in Brazil, according to data from ANPII. Among agricultural crops, soybeans lead the use of inoculants, with 77% of the value of industry sales (83% in doses), followed by corn, with 16% (13% in doses) and sugarcane with 2,5% ( 1,3% in doses). By 2023, bacteria-based biological inoculants Bradyrhizobium represented 72,7% in number of doses. Products with Azospirillum and Pseudomonas represented 26,7% of doses sold in Brazil. “The scenario shows that other crops still bring enormous opportunities for growth in the adoption and development of inoculants in the country, with potential for expansion in environmental and economic benefits for our agricultural production”, argues Solon.