Calister S. A. to widen its commercial horizons on agricultural inoculant globally

Editor's Note: According to the report on global agricultural inoculants market, the agricultural inoculants market is projected to reach $ 437.1 million by 2020, growing at a CAGR of 9.6% from 2015 to 2020. The Latin American region is projected to be the fastest-growing market due to commercial cultivation of corn and soybean crops. Accordingly, AgroPages recently invited Mr. Guillermo Arrospide, Founder and Director of Calister S.A. to introduce the overview of Agriculture inoculant in Latin America, development history of Calister S. A., inoculants and relative dynamics R+D, as well as market extending plan and ect.

Q1. Could you introduce the application situation of Agriculture inoculant and related influencing factors in Latin America?

International political changes have determined an outstanding evolution in the MERCOSUR’s Agriculture in the last 30 years, driving changes in the food consumption habits, in some regions and a partial substitution of the traditional energy sources. MERCOSUR is the name of the political and commercial association of some of the most important South American countries.

During this period of time, and especially in the last 15 years, there has been a significant increase in the cropping area driven by soybeans, backed by low interest rates, and stable access to financial resources. All these factors combined were responsible for what is known as the “Soybean Boom”. At the same time, there has been a remarkable increase in productivity based on technological changes: no-till cropping systems, biotechnology applied to soybean genetics (e.g.: development of glyphosate-tolerant cultivars and the intensive use of this herbicide), as well as, the effective and extensive use of Biological Nitrogen Fixation (BNF).

These technologies allowed yield improvement and simplified production by increasing areas, reducing costs, and making soybean highly competitive in comparison to other crops.   Nowadays, MERCOSUR has 58 million Ha. of soybean crops, which represents 60% of the total cropping area of the region, with an average yield of 3,0 T/Ha. It also produces more than 50% of soybean grain worldwide, and represents 55% of the total world market volume, 70% of soybean meal, and 61% of soybean oil.

Soybeans belong to the Leguminosae family and, as such, have the outstanding capacity of fulfilling its nitrogen requirements from the atmospheric nitrogen, through the symbiotic association with Bradyrhizobium bacteria.

MERCOSUR soybean expansion was made possible, in part, by the Biological Fixation of 8.350.000 T. of atmospheric Nitrogen from a biological process that substitutes the use of an equivalent to 18.156.000 Tons of Urea with a 100% recovery rate. Considering that average fertilizer N-use efficiency is only 50%, the number raises to 36.000.000 T. of Urea. These numbers show the importance of the process from both an economic and environmental point of view.

The introduction of adequate Bradyrhizobium bacteria with high N2-fixation efficiency is traditionally done by direct Inoculant application on the seed or, alternatively, applying liquid or solid preparations directly in the furrow. Today there is a strong emphasis on developing inoculants that can be applied to the seeds 30 to 60 day before sowing and that are compatible with chemical seeds treatments.

The challenge is to make a living microorganism formulation that stays effective even when being applied several weeks before sowing. The expansion of soybean crops in the MERCOSUR area couldn´t has occurred without the development of an industry leading the process and delivering high quality inoculants.

Q2. Could you talk about the development history of Calister S. A. in the field of inoculant?

Founded in 1984 in Uruguay, before the Soybean Boom, CALISTER S. A. started with the goal of producing high quality inoculants for the forage legumes such as Alfalfa, Medic and Clovers, which we still produce. At the same time, we anticipated and accompanied the soybean inoculant markets in Uruguay, Brasil, Paraguay and Bolivia.

The strong working relationship between our R+D team and the main Agriculture and Industrial research centers (INIA - Uruguay, INTA - Argentina, EMBRAPA and UNESPI - Brasil, UDELAR- Uruguay), and companies from Uruguay and other parts of the world (MBR Canada, Microbio England, PGG Wrightson New Zealand /Uruguay) allowed us to train our people and develop high technology value products.

Today, we have technology to produce inoculants for all planted legumes, therefore we are ready to cooperate in technology and commerce, wherever our products and services are required.

In 2000, we started the development of the chemical seed treatment products, fungicides and insecticides, compatible with inoculants. This implies the use of high effectiveness and bacteria friendly products, which are strategic for adequate performance of plant-bacteria symbiosis.

Q3. What inoculants have been launched by Calister and relative advantages of them?

CALISTER S. A. has a peat-based inoculant line “NITRONAT” for a wide variety of legumes, an aqueous liquid formulation for soybean “NITRONAT-L”, microbial bioprotectors and adhesives under the AS STICK® commercial brand. These formulations have been validated by strict registration requirements, as well as, by many years of field performance.

In 2015 the liquid inoculation package for soybean BIOFORCE® was launched. This package contains BIOFORCE® inoculant and the microbial bioprotector AS STICK-FORCE®. This high concentration inoculant, 1x1010 cfu/ml, has great stability that allows seeds pre-inoculation as far as 60 days before sowing, in combination with seed treating products based on Fludioxonil and Metalaxil.

CALISTER S. A. is well known for the experience on the strengths and limitations of the inoculant technology and the biological systems associated. Therefore, we do not make promises we are not sure we can deliver. We also produce several chemicals, seed treating products, colorants, pigments and polymers, which enable us to propose an integral and differentiated offer for the Professional Seed Treatment (PST-CALISTER).

In addition, our development as an inoculant company has occurred in a region with strict registration requirements for new products. It is mandatory to demonstrate that every new product has added value that shows an increase in productivity. It has been a tough journey but, at the same time, it guarantees products’ quality.  

Q4. Could you introduce the latest dynamics R+D of Calister?

CALISTER S. A. has a research program on new inoculant formulations mainly searching to simplify handling, and to develop more tolerant products to adverse conditions such as climate, user manipulation, storage and pre-inoculation. Considering new areas of expansion, we are currently working on the production of “molecular inoculants” or “potentiated inoculants” and some of them have already been launched.

Another area in which we are involved are biologic phosphorus solubilization and in the development of soil organic phosphorus mineralizing inoculants (bacteria and fungi) with additional PGPR characteristics.

Q5. Could you introduce the market extending plan of Calister?

We have focused our commercial efforts on the Latin American region up to 2015. Today we are searching to widen our commercial horizons looking at the soybean growth in other regions like China, India, Africa and Western Europe. Therefore we are working to establish ties in order to offer our products as well as technological cooperation. 

Q6. China plans to increase soybean planting areas of 2.64 million hectares to 9.3 million hectares by 2020. What do you think of new market opportunities for soybean inoculants?

We think China’s Ministry of Agriculture projection of reaching 10 million Ha. of soybean by 2020 is absolutely feasible, but it will not take place without an extensive use of inoculants and BNF as the main Nitrogen supply for soybean crop. Furthermore, we think that the projected area could even be larger. For CALiSTER S.A., being part of this process through strategic alliances with local companies and provide China with our inoculants and technology is extremely stimulating. We are confident that we have the know-how and are excited to share it.

To learn more information on agricultural inoculant, pls contact CALISTER S. A.:
Tel: (+598) 26838989
Email: garrospide@calister.com.uy
www.calister.com.uy