The partnership involves financing research and development of new solutions and technologies for plant nutrition and protection, with a view to reducing Brazil's dependence on imported fertilizers.
Resources are around USD$4 million, $1 million for each research project with deadlines to be executed in three years. The project is called “Research and Efficiency for the Production of Fertilizers”.
There will be four fields, or research topics to be implemented. The first is the use of precision agriculture, big data and artificial intelligence (AI) to obtain a more efficient distribution of nutrients applied to crops and soil management.
The second branch of research will be the development and evaluation of new biological products to improve the physical functionsof soils.
The third theme will be the development and evaluation of new formulations and sources of fertilizers to replace or reduce dependence on traditional sources of NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium), such as higher efficiency, organo mineral fertilizers, and biostimulants for root growth.
The fourth and last field of research involves “determining ways to better use the existing nutrient sources,” informed the new president of Embrapa, Silvia Massruhá, in an exclusive interview with NewAG International. According to her, this line of investigation is in search of legume cover crops, used as alternatives to fertilizers, and the development of new varieties of crops that use soil nutrients more efficiently. “We hope that this set of
projects will contribute to the world advancement of scientific knowledge and reduce Brazil's dependence on external chemical inputs, such as pesticides and fertilizers,” she said.
Silvia Massruhá,president, Embrapa
Bioinsumptions in focusBrazil is the largest producer of bioinputs and also the country that uses them the most, according to the latest studies by the international consultancy Kynetec. Brazilians have been strongly embracing the use of microorganisms for biostimulation and strengthening the natural defenses of crops – and all this with the support of agricultural research, which is led in this South American country by Embrapa.
“Increasingly common in the countryside, bioinputs reduce chemical applications, generate savings, circumvent non-tariff barriers, enable organic production and contribute to an environmentally more sustainable agriculture,” noted Massruhá.
In Brazil, the bioinput market has been growing at rates of 50 percent per year, against a global average of 15 percent, according to research by Croplife. And it is not a simple replacement of chemical active ingredients, but a complementary strategy, within integrated pest management (IPM), which prevents resistance to pesticides, while reducing costs and the numberof applications.
As for biostimulants (bacteria, fungi, acids, extracts, biopolymers and inorganic compounds), around 50 percent of Brazilian producers already make use of these resources. This is almost double the amount of European farmers who adopt biostimulation, which adds up to 28 percent (European Union).
The difference is even greater when compared with the 23 percent of farmers who use this technology in China, 16 percent among Americans, 11 percent in Argentina, nine percent in Canada and three percent in India.
Brazilian leadership is also significant in the use of biofertilizers, which are also classified in the country as “organic fertilizers”. No less than 36 percent of Brazilian producers use these products, against 25 percent of Europeans, 22 percent of Chinese, 12 percent of Americans, 11 percent of Indians, seven percent of Canadians and
only six percent of Argentines, according to a survey by American business consulting firm McKinsey.
New technologies comingAccording to Massruhá, Embrapa is already at the forefront of agricultural research when the topic is bio-input.
“In recent years, in partnership with private companies, we have placed important bioproducts on the market,” she says, highlighting some new technologies that will gain special momentum with the recent partnership with international organizations.
In the category of special fertilizers, the president of the Brazilian research company highlights the BiomaPhos liquid inoculant. It is the first technology for the solubilization of phosphorus in Brazil, being formulated from bacterial strains Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus megaterium, with a shelf life of 12 months without the need for refrigeration. After solubilizing the phosphorus present in the soil, BiomaPhos makes this element available to the plants through a process that occurs through a symbiotic relationship between the bacteria in the inoculant and the culture.
Massruhá said this bioproduct is a technology 100 percent developed in Brazil and has a recommendation for seed treatment or application via jet directed into the sowing furrow. When used in either of these two modalities, BiomaPhos associates with the plant from the beginning of root formation. The bacteria present in the product multiply and colonize the plant's rhizosphere. During this process, strains BRM 119 (Bacillus megaterium) and BRM 2084 (Bacillus subtilis) start producing different organic acids. These acids act in the portion of the soil that is in contact with the roots of the plants, thus initiating the process of solubilization of the phosphorus that is retained in the calcium, aluminum and iron present in the soil, leaving it readily available for absorption and assimilation by the plant.
In addition, BiomaPhos also acts in the mineralization of phosphorus present in soil organic matter (phytates), providing a greater contribution of this element to the crop. As results obtained so far, BiomaPhos increased productivity by around 12 bags per hectare in corn plantations. In soybean crops treated with the input, the average productivity jumped from 67.2 bags per hectare to 71.6 bags.
Another product highlighted in research by Embrapa is Auras, produced from the bacterium Bacillus aryabhattai, which is present in the soils of the Brazilian semi-arid region known as Caatinga, surviving in the roots of mandacaru (Cereus jamacaru), which is a cactus native to Brazil. It is the first commercial product designed to reduce the effects caused by water stress on plants and has no competitors registered with the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa) of Brazil. Auras microorganisms are capable of hydrating plant roots, making them respond better to water shortages caused by prolonged droughts in maize crops, minimizing risks and increasing production resilience to climate change.
Embrapa also highlights Omsugo Eco, which is the country's first phosphorus solubilizing inoculant for sugarcane. The bioproduct was developed using two bacteria identified by Embrapa in its microorganism bank: Bacillus subtilis (CNPMS B2084) and Bacillus megaterium (CNPMS B119). According to researcher Christiane Paiva, leader of the study's development team, the strains of these bacteria, based on different mechanisms, promote greater root growth and solubilization of phosphorus adsorbed in the soil, delivering productivity gains of more than 20 percent in sugarcane fields.
“We had reports of average gains of around 12 tons per hectare in areas where producers carried out tests with the product, compared to areas without application,” said Paiva.
The mechanisms of action of the bacteria involve the release of phytohormones and the production of phosphatase and phytase enzymes that help in the cycling of organic phosphorus in the soil and the production of organic acids for the release of fixed phosphorus in inorganic form, which is essential for the action in the root and increased absorption of phosphorus by the sugarcane crop. Tests carried out in the first year of validation of the technology prove its effectiveness and compatibility with other recommended good agricultural practices.
Independence is the goalCurrently, 85 percent of the fertilizers used in Brazilian plantations are imported. Brazil's challenges to increase its fertilizer production and reduce external dependence in this area were the central theme of debates at the first meeting of the recently inaugurated Confert (National Council of Fertilizers), held last month at the headquarters of the Ministry of Development, Industry, Commerce, and Services in Brazil.
The main task of the new Confert will be to review, debate and implement the National Fertilizer Plan (PNF) – whose objective is precisely to reduce this external dependence by half by the year 2050. In this first meeting, a working group was created with a deadline of 90 days to deliver the revision of the PNF, following the guidelines of the decree that restructured the council. Also on the horizon is the creation of a “fertilizer center of excellence”.
Brazil's Minister of Agriculture, Carlos Fávaro, has repeatedly emphasized the importance of making the fertilizer agenda a national priority.
“Brazil has great potential, great opportunities and great obstacles to be overcome. We have an abundant supply of food, but for this to continue happening, we need security in the supply of basic inputs for agriculture. And fertilizers are at the top of the chain of farmers' needs,”he told NewAG International. ●
We hope that this set of projects will contribute to the world advancement of scientific knowledge and reduce Brazil's dependence on external chemical inputs.
According to a study published in Nature, despite being highly efficient in converting biowaste into biomass, insect production itself also yields a waste stream consisting in moulting skins (exuviae) and, more importantly, frass. “In natural conditions, it is well known that frass deposition to soil has a great impact on soil fertility due to its high nutrient and labile C content,” noted the study.
Ÿnsect is a company that has taken the initiative to get into the business of manufacturing and selling frass as a fertilizer.
Ÿnsect is a company that has taken the initiative to get into the business of manufacturing and selling frass as a fertilizer. Emilien Bohuon, plant and soil engineer with Ÿnsect, says the company was initially formed to transform mealworms into high-end, high-value ingredients to feed animals, plants and humans.
Founded in 2011 in Paris, France, by scientists and environmental activists, the Next40 member and B Corp-labeled company Ÿnsect transforms mealworms into high-end, high-value ingredients to feed animals, plants and humans.
“But it wasn't until 2016 that we developed ŸnFrass,” says Bohuon. “Indeed, as production progressed, we realized the volume of droppings offered by our insects and wondered about their use as fertilizer. Impact has always been at the heart of our DNA, and the use of these droppings enabled us to operate in a circular economy, with no more waste. So, we carried out several series of tests to assess their potential.”
The company claims that ŸnFrass increases yield of certain crops by improving the biological properties of soil, as well as boosting flowering and drought resistance.
“It's a natural source of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium [4-3-2],” says Bohuon, adding that ŸnFrass is also rich in organic matter (80 percent). “It has the same potential as mineral fertilizer on barley, ryegrass, rapeseed, wheat and corn, and in trials, showed a 20 percent yield boost in vineyards.”
Bohuon said ŸnFrass also improves flowering and offers better resistance to summer drought for ornamental plants and improves soil life/quality.
“We’ve seen a synergetic effect between ŸnFrass and earthworms, with a 30 percent increase of soil microbial activity.”
Ÿnsect carried out four years of research and development in partnership with several renowned institutes, such as UniLaSalle, to perfect its fertilizer and study its impact on crops and soils. To test its fertilizer in crops, they worked on field crops such as wheat, barley, rapeseed and corn, then on other types of crops such as vegetables, lettuce and potatoes, vines and even ornamental plants.
ŸnFrass is a natural source of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.
“To reach our conclusions, we conducted trials in the fields and in greenhouses in conjunction with our project partners. We systematically compared our fertilizer with mineral fertilizers to assess its full potential,” notes Bohuon. “For example, we were able to demonstrate that microbial activity increases significantly in the presence of our fertilizer compared with soil fertilized with mineral fertilizer. Our frass thus contributes to the mineralization of organic matter and improvessoil texture.”
The tests the company carried out showed an increase in biomass and yield, in some cases very significant, on all the crops tested compared with 100 percent chemical fertilizers. What's more, while ensuring the supply of essential elements for crops, the company’s frass improves the biological properties of soils.
Ÿnsect received marketing authorization for its natural fertilizer in June 2020, issued by ANSES (French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Healthy & Safety). Bohuon says Ÿnsect thus becomes the first player in the world to obtain marketing approval for a natural insect-based fertilizer.
“From the start of our research process to develop our fertilizer, we were determined to become a genuine local partner for farmers, market gardeners, winegrowers and gardeners alike, offering them a natural, high-performance fertilizer,” he says. “Thanks to ANSES approval to market our product, we have been able to demonstrate the full power of insects: from their proteins to their droppings. This authorization has also enabled us to secure our leadership by developing the world's first fertilizer of its kind. This breakthrough is important for the entire industry, as it opens the way for other players by showing them the extent of insect-related possibilities.” ●
An aerial sample of the huge greenhouse block in Almeria, Southern Spain. 2023.
Almeria, in Andalucía, southern Spain, is probably the largest global concentration of greenhouses, encompassing almost 33,000 hectares of "plastic sea", most of grow winter soil-grown tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, courgettes, eggplants, strawberries, watermelons, melons and more. The lion's share of this industry is organic-certified, and some 75 percent of these products are exported to other European countries, at a turnover of~ €3 billion. One of the constrainsof this vastly intensive operation is the damages provoked by a large variety of pathogenic soil-borne,air-borne, bacteria, fungi, nematodes, viruses and pests.
These facts were, undoubtedly the reasons that supported the International Society of Horticultural Science’s (ISHS) decision that the University of Almeria should host the 10th International Symposium on Soil and Substrate Disinfestation, in June 2023. This symposium attracted some 76 researchers, and industry stakeholders from Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas, and was organized under the leadership of IFAPA’s researcher Dr. Miguel de Cara and his dedicated team.
Two main lines were discussed by the presenters: 1. New chemical disinfection materials and their application methods; and 2. Physical and biological concepts of restoring soil health by solarization and fumigation.
1. After phasing out ofmethyl-bromide (MB), other chemicals were adopted for soil disinfection. Chinese Dr. Dongdong Yan reported that since MB banning in China (only in 2019), it has been largely replaced by: chloropicrin, dazomet, metam sodium/ potassium, sulfuryl fluoride,dimethyl disulfide, allyl-isothiocyanate and 1,3-dichloropropene. Many application methods for these agents have been developed in China, including direct injection, chemigation, hot gas application and mechanical soil integration by rotary tillers. Soil fumigation produced significantly positive effects in greenhouses and
in open fields, including more vigorous plants, larger and greener leaves and markedly higher yields.
But Dr. Dongdong showed that on top of the fumigants' pesticidal effect, they also inhibited the microbial nitrification activity (oxidizing ammonia to nitrate), thus radically reducing nitrogen (N) losses by leaching. This phenomenon has been evident both in the lab and in the field. As can be expected, heavier textured soils and lower pH soils show longer inhibition time, during which new planting will suffer from the biocidal effect of the fumigants. Fumigation also stimulates nitrogen mineralization processes, whereby ammonium is released to soil by degradation of organic nitrogenous compounds. Therefore, chemical soil fumigation increased soil's N availability, thanks to nitrification inhibition, and the promotion of N mineralization. Other reports by Chinese researchers showed that chemical fumigation improves the availability to plantsof other soil nutrients, including,P, K, Fe, Mn, Cl and solubleorganic carbon.
2. More holistic and organic methods apply physical and/or biological methods to improve soil health. Soil solarization, soil flooding and soil steaming are typical physical practices, that are more environmentally friendly than chemical ones, yet very effective too. Soil solarization is using solar energy during high solar radiation seasons, to increase soil temperature to kill or critically weaken soil-borne plant pathogens. It is carried out by covering moist soil with a tarp, usually a water-, and gas-impermeable plastic cover, that absorbs solar energy, and keeps it within the treated plot for 30-50 days, and is removed thereafter.
The water content supports solar heat convection to deeper layers of the treated soil. It can be done with water alone, or in combination with chemicals (mixed solarization) or organic materials (bio-solarization).
Credit: Prof. F. Di Gioia, Pennsylvania
Solarization is currently used by more than 90 percent of the farms in southeastern Spain.
ASD (Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation) is carried out by irrigating the soil up to field capacity and amending it with a labile C source and organic N, and tarping by a black totally impermeable film (TIF). Professor F.D. Gioia (Penn State University) explained that waterlogging the soil produces anaerobic conditions, which kill most aerobic plant pathogens. And the organic amendments undergo anaerobic decomposition by facultative and obligate anaerobic microbes, which results in the production of pyruvic, acetic, lactic, propionic, butyric and formic acids. All these give rise to accumulation of toxic/suppressive products, volatilization of organic compounds, creation of N derivatives like NH3, N2O and N2, and to leaching of NO2- and NO3-. Additionally, the flourishing anaerobic populations limit the growth, and control the pathogenic ones, by supporting their parasitic organisms, by competition for nutrients, and/or by production of antibiotics and toxic metabolites, and by inducing crop resistance. A large variety of organic amendments have been reported to produce excellent results, e.g., maltose, molasses, rice bran, wheat middling, dried distiller’s grain, residual strawberry extrudate, chicken manure, sheep manure, fish meal, green manure made of triticale and/or crimson clover, and Everlizer (a heat-processed chicken litter fertilizer).
Bio-disinfestation methods were reported to use the following organic amendments: fresh pepper and cucumber plant debris, fresh-, and semi-composted sheep manure, wheat husk, sunflower pellets. The application of fresh plant debris to the soil through bio-disinfestationn is suggested as an alternative for the management of crop residues, in accordance with the principles of the circular economy. Developing suppressive soils by controlling plant pathogens can be also done by enriching the soil with the following amendments: green composts and biocontrol agents (Trichoderma spp., Bacillusamyloliquefaciens, Pseudomonas sp.), frass from black soldier fly larvae, commercial chitin, sunflower seed husks, wheat bran, beer bagasse and rapeseed cake.
Bio-fumigation implies the cultivation of specific species, commonly belonging to the Brassicaceae family, in the pathogens affected field, followed by chopping the plants, and their rapid incorporation into the soil. Volatile inhibitory substances, in particular isothiocyanates, are produced after the hydrolysis of glucosinolates, contained in the plant tissues, by the enzyme myrosinase that is released due to crushing of the plant tissues. The use of the following species has been reported: rape (Brassica napus), B. juncea, B. carinata, also, white radish (Raphanus sativus), mustard (Sinapis alba), and Camelina sativa. ●
A new farming system developed by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin aims to solve one of the biggest problems in modern agriculture: the overuse of fertilizers to improve crop yields and the resulting chemical runoff that pollutes the world’s air and water.
The smart farming system uses a copper-based hydrogel that captures excess nitrate waste from fertilizer runoff and transforms it into ammonia – a critical element in fertilizers – that can then be reused. In tests, the system had the ability to match or increase crop yields over traditional methods while also minimizing environmental impacts.
“We designed this system and showed that it can grow the same or more crops without overusing nitrogen, which can contaminate groundwater and lead to harmful greenhouse gasses,” said Guihua Yu, a professor of materials science in the Cockrell School of Engineering’s Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering and Texas Materials Institute.
The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, shows that the copper-based gel film not only produces ammonia from nitrate waste but also senses nitrogen levels in the soil. This detection capability helps determine the optimal time to drain nitrate, a nitrogen compound that is important for plant growth but can be a pollutant, from the soil to convert to ammonia, keeping it from escaping and contaminating the surrounding environment.
As part of the project, the researchers worked with agricultural experts to compare their work to traditional farming methods. The smart farming system produced wheat and rice plants that grew taller with bigger leaves, compared with other methods, with less nitrogen runoff.
In addition to environmental impacts, excess use of nitrogen fertilizers can also stunt the growth of crops, defeating their purpose of improving production. By simultaneously producing ammonia and monitoring nitrogen levels, this new technology improves crop growth by helping plants take in and use nitrogen more efficiently.
The research builds on previous agricultural breakthroughs from Yu and his team, including the creation of self-watering soil and an innovative way to produce urea, another key element in fertilizers.
The researchers’ next step will be to infuse artificial intelligence into this farming platform. By doing that, they aim to expand the range of crops they can work on and further scale up fertilizing operations. ●
A new smart farming system uses a copper-based hydrogel that captures excess nitrate waste from fertilizer runoff and transformsit into ammonia that can then be reused.
Image: University of Texas at Austin.
Plant roots have their own thermometer to measure the temperature of the soil around them and they adjust their growth accordingly. Through extensive experiments, a team led by Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU), was able to demonstrate that roots have their own temperature sensing and response system. In a new study in The EMBO Journal, the scientists also provide a new explanation for how roots themselves detect and react to higher temperatures. The results could help develop new approaches for plant breeding.
The researchers used climate chambers to investigate how the plant model organism thale cress and the two crops, cabbage and tomatoes, react to rising ambient temperatures. They increased the ambient temperature from 20 to 28 degrees C (68 to 82.4 degrees F). "Until now, it was assumed that the plant shoot controlled the process for the entire plant and acted as a long-distance transmitter that signalled to the root that it should alter its growth," said Professor Marcel Quint from the Institute of Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences at MLU. His team has now been able to disprove this through extensive experiments in cooperation with researchers from the Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry (IPB), ETH Zurich and the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research in Cologne.
In one experiment, scientists cut off the shoot of the plants but allowed the roots to continue to grow. "We found that the roots were not affected by this and grew at elevated temperatures in the same way as on plants with intact shoots. The higher temperature stimulated cell division and the roots became significantly longer," noted Quint. The team also used mutant plants whose shoots could no longer detect and respond to higher temperatures. Those were grafted onto roots without this defect. Here, too, the roots were able to react to the heat in the soil, even though the shoot did nothing.
The researchers found in all of their experiments that root cells increased the production of the growth hormone auxin, which was then transported to the root tips. There, it stimulated cell division and enabled the roots to reach further down into the soil. "As heat and drought usually occur in tandem, it makes sense for the plants to tap into deeper and cooler soil layers that contain water," Quint explained.
Scientists have understood how plant shoots react to higher temperatures for some time. Their cells also produce more auxin, but the plant reacts differently than its roots. The cells in the shoot stretch, the stalk grows taller, and the leaves become narrower and growfarther apart.
The study also provides new insights for plant breeding. "In view of climate change, root growth is becoming more and more important for breeding. Understanding the molecular basis for temperature-dependent root growth might help to effectively equip plants against drought stress and achieve stable yields in the long term," said Quint.
Quint's team will continue its work in this field of research in the coming years. Earlier this year, the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) granted him around 500,000 euros for a new research project on precisely this topic.
The study was funded by the DFG, the Chinese Scholarship Fund, the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and the Max Planck Society. ●
Arabidopsis thaliana - Thale cress
