The result of a partnership between Embrapa and the private company Innova Agrotecnologia, Combio is the first bioinput for Brazilian soybeans with two functions: growth stimulation and protection against fungi. The product is a combination of three bacterial strains that act in biological nitrogen fixation and plant growth promotion: BR 29 (Bradyrhizobium elkanii), BR 10788 (Bacillus subtilis) and BR 10141 (Paraburkholderia nodosa). “The difference with this inoculant is that we include bacteria that perform several stimulating mechanisms and that also protect the seeds in the soil emergence phase, preventing attacks from opportunistic fungi”, details researcher Jerri Zilli, from Embrapa Agrobiologia (RJ), one of those responsible by research.
Field tests carried out by Innova Agrotecnologia revealed a 10% increase in grain yield. Not even the strong drought that occurred in the 2020/2021 harvest, like what occurred in the state of Mato Grosso, prevented the satisfactory effect of the bioinput. In Paraná, a crop without any inoculant had a yield of 61 bags per hectare, another with traditional co-inoculation yielded 63 bags and the area with Combio had a yield of 66 bags. “Our intention is not to confront the inoculants that are on the market. The objective is to encourage management that avoids chemical fungicides, considered aggressive to rhizobia bacteria”, points out Zilli.
The product emerged from the prospecting of hundreds of bacteria with the aim of finding microorganisms antagonistic to fungi that interfere with the germination and emergence of soybean seedlings in the field. Currently, to guarantee good plant stand, practically 100% of soybean crops in Brazil receive seed treatment with chemical fungicides, which, in most cases, are harmful to the Bradyrhizobium. “During the study, we found that Bacillus subtilis e Paraburkholderia nodosa They had great antifungal potential and, in addition, stimulated plants through different mechanisms, resulting in more uniform and vigorous seedlings”, explains Zilli.
Once the characteristic of promoting the growth of soybean plants was verified, the bacteria were combined with Bradyrhizobium, essential for the supply of nitrogen to the crop. After tests in the greenhouse and in the field, it was found that the plants inoculated with Combio developed better compared to standard inoculation with Bradyrhizobium, and showed wide nodulation and health.
Embrapa researcher Luís Henrique Soares de Barros believes that Combio can advantageously replace the traditional inoculant in soybean cultivation, which contains only the specific microorganism intended for biological nitrogen fixation. “Combio has, in addition to the symbiotic microorganism, two other strains, which value the promotion of growth and provide greater vigor to the crop, through complementary biochemical action to the plant”, he reveals.
Tests to validate the fungal antagonism effect for registration purposes as a biological fungicide are ongoing and in accordance with current legislation. The expectation of the researchers involved is that this difference will be fully proven and that, soon, the product can be offered as the first multifunctional bioinput for soybeans. “We combined two functions in a single product, which provides greater practicality. With one less step in the field, the farmer has less work”, highlights Barros.
Currently, the product has a special temporary registration and is being offered as an inoculant with action on biological nitrogen fixation and promoting the growth of soybean plants. To be marketed as a biofungicide, it must still meet some requirements of current Brazilian legislation. The expectation is that this new technology will be available in the next harvests.
Combio bioinput is a liquid inoculant to be applied via seed treatment or even in the planting furrow. The BR 29 strain (Bradyrhizobium) acts on the formation of nodules and nitrogen fixation. The strains BR 10788 (Bacillus) and BR 10141 (Paraburkholderia) act to stimulate plant growth and protect seeds through their antagonistic capacity.
The development of a multifunctional biological input for soybean cultivation meets market perspectives, which are increasingly looking for sustainable technological solutions to control pests and diseases and increase productivity. The advantage is the reduction in the use of nitrogen fertilizers and chemical products to control pests and diseases, which implies more environmentally friendly agriculture.
For other commercial information about Combio, producers should contact Innova Agrotecnologia.
Research into the development of Combio began in 2020 and used the collection of microorganisms maintained at the Johanna Döbereiner Biological Resources Center (CRB-JD), located at Embrapa Agrobiologia, in Seropédica (RJ). To formulate the product, more than 700 bacteria were prospected within the CRB-JD collection. Initially, combinations of microorganisms were being tested to combine biological nitrogen fixation and growth promotion. From the evaluation of the strains, their potential in combating fungi harmful to soybean crops was also considered - which would imply the development of an even more complete and innovative product.
With around 7 thousand microorganisms, including bacteria and fungi, the CRB-JD collection was formed over years of research, from collections in nature, in different regions of the country. Each of the bacteria deposited there was studied and passed by evaluation regarding its potential for use as a biological input in Brazilian agriculture.
This work began in the 1950s, when researcher Johanna Döbereiner isolated the first nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Since then, the collection has multiplied and more than 50 strains have already been authorized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa) for use in commercial inoculants.
Until 2012, only the phenotypic and morphological characteristics (appearance and shape) of the microorganisms deposited at CRB-JD were known, and this limited the development of research. However, in recent years, with the use of molecular tools, it has been possible to better understand the taxonomy (classification) of microorganisms and, in addition, a DNA bank has been structured and is available to researchers.
Currently, around 80% of the microorganisms in the collection are characterized through DNA sequencing. This means that if someone needs to carry out new studies for biotechnological work, they do not need to cultivate the bacteria, but can only use the stored DNA. Furthermore, using DNA, it is possible to perform genomic sequencing of the bacteria and identify genes with agrobiotechnological potential.
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At the fair, visitors notice the significant development of equipment aimed at mechanized planting and harvesting in increasingly steep and rugged areas, relief features that are very common in the topography of Paraná
