AgroPages-Lallemand now turns attention to China’s market-Agricultural news

Lallemand now turns attention to China’s market

Founded at the end of 19th century, Lallemand is now a leading provider of microbial solution in agri-food industries. Their Global Technical Marketing Director Jean-Marc Sanchez will attend the 2nd Biopesticides and Novel Fertilizers International Summit in China, to promote the benefits of their products for the local market, and give a speech about ecosystem approach using beneficial microorganism, biostimulant or biocontrol.

AgroPages recently interviewed Jean-Marc:

Q1: Could you please introduce Lallemand Plant Care？

Lallemand is a global leader in the development, production and marketing of yeast, bacteria and fungi for various agri-food industries. Lallemand is present through factories, distribution centers or representation offices on all 5 continents and 45 countries. Lallemand Plant Care one of the 12 business units of Lallemand, and we focus on providing Microbe-based solutions for agriculture & forestry. Lallemand Plant Care is actively present in Europe, South America and North America, and we are now turning our attention to the market in China.

Q2: What is the relationship of microbes with plants? What can we learn from the relationship when use microbes in the agriculture industry?

Microbes and plants have co-evolved. They interact and get some benefits from each other. Usually the plant gives sugar from photosynthesis and sometimes a shelter for the microbes. In Exchange, microbes can reduce pest or disease, unblock nutrients or fix nitrogen for the plants – there is a mutually beneficial interaction or symbiosis.

A plant is never alone. In general, to resist to environment stresses, life has to cooperate – cooperation is the real success story of life. As in animal and human gut, plants need microbes to digest nutrient and protect themselves. It is important to remember that the plant cell is itself the result of an association of bacteria: the chloroplast, able to synthetizes carbo-hydrate with sun light, and the mitochondria, abacteriaable to produce energy with this sugar (carbon) and oxygen.

Q3: What microbial plant care solutions does Lallemand Plant Care have?

We cover large range of benefits for the farmers:

LALSTIM: Microbial derivatives that stimulate plant growth, fruit setting, photosynthesis and reduce abiotic stresses;

LALFIX: Nitrogen-fixing bacteria;

LALRISE: Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria able to solubilize phosphorus, improve iron uptake, improve root efficiency;

LALBIOME: Prebiotics to improve organic matter breakdown;

LALSTOP: Microbes able to reduce fungal diseases (soil-borne disease like Fusarium, Pythium, Rhizoctonia, Sclerotia, and foliar diseases such as Botrytis, mildew, etc.);

LALGUARD: Microbes able to fight against insect pests;

LALNIX: Microbes able to reduce phyto-pathogenic nematodes;

LALFRESH: Microbes that increase the shelf-life of harvested crops.

Q4: Could you please share the advantages of Lallemand Plant Care in the microbial plant care solutions?

Lallemand is a pure microbial company. Its assets, know-how, resources are fully dedicated to microbes. Consequently, we are able to provide to the market competitive and high-quality products with services in order to provide real solutions for Farmers. We are successfully managing our production process to guarantee consistency and repeatability in real-world applications. We are the microbe expert.

Q5: What are the main markets of Lallemand Plant Care? How do you think the opportunities and challenges in the emerging markets such as China and Brazil?

Lallemand is currently active in South America, North America and Europe. China represents the world’s fastest Expanding agricultural market. The market is undergoing rapid changes as it evolves. China’s recent governmental initiatives promote agricultural development in a sustainable way. Farmers are adopting best practices, usage of superior seeds, biostimulants and biopesticides. There is an opportunity to work with farmers and to promote the benefits of our microbial solutions.

Q6: The slow effect of biological control has become a major factor affecting the development of biopesticides. In the actual sales process, how to let dealers and farmers accept this fact?

We respectfully disagree with the premise that biological control has a slow effect. Microbes can multiply themselves in a favorable environment very quickly and can provide potent solutions. But their successful use requires know-how. Indeed, living organisms are sensitive to competition, humidity, temperature, pH, etc. Great care must be taken with respect to the application method, the specific conditions at time of application, etc. This is the core challenge. In Lallemand Plant Care, our team of agronomists and crop experts are helping to develop scientific and technical know-how to advise farmers and ensure that the products deliver on their promise.