Brazil to have first fungus-based industrial seed treatment

By Leonardo Gottems, reporter for AgroPages

Koppert presented this season the Trianum DS (Trichoderma harzianum Cepa T22), which is the first biological product composed of fungus from Brazil that can be used in the treatment of industrial seeds (TSI). 

Made with the T22 strain, developed through a fusion between the best strains of Trichoderma harzianum, the product is produced exclusively by Koppert.

In the demonstration fields carried out during the 2019-2020 harvest, the Trianum DS significantly reduced the incidence and severity of soil pathogens (fungi and nematodes), the manufacturer said. In addition, it promoted the growth of root and aerial part of the plants, which resulted in an average increase of 3.4 bags per hectare in the soybean fields.

One of the advantages of the product is that it offers double protection to plants, as it has the potential to protect the roots of two pathogens - fungi and soil nematodes, which cause a great loss to farmers if not properly controlled. 

Koppert's industrial director, Danilo Pedrazzoli, said that when Trianum DS is used for TSI, the producer is ensured a correct product in the appropriate proportion and dosage. “The seed that has already been treated facilitates the operation, bringing economic and productivity advantages, especially for soybean crops,” he explained.

Pedrazzoli highlighted the quality of the T22 strain, considered a “super Trichoderma harzianum”. “Koppert has had the right to use this asset globally since the 1990s. In Brazil, we started researching the use of the product in our biomes in 2009 and now we have the Trianum DS available to the local producer.”

In addition, the farmer's need to treat the seed on the farm with Trichoderma harzianum and plant it immediately ends. “With the Trianum DS, the fungus remains viable in the seed for up to 60 days after the TSI is carried out when stored in a cool and airy place,” stated Koppert's agronomic development coordinator, Marcelino Borges Brito.

For Fabiano Denis de Paula, general director of Futura Agronegócios, Koppert's partner in the treatment of industrial seed with biologicals, in Minas Gerais, the Trianum DS produced excellent results in tests and crop monitoring. “The product delivers efficiency and safety in the control of nematodes and soil diseases, ensuring greater production per hectare and increasing the number of pods per plant. We are very pleased to be able to use it.”

Regarding the TSI with biologicals, de Paula explains that it is very well accepted by rural producers and its use has been growing in the last harvests. "We expect to grow between 20 and 40% this season in the adoption of biologicals at TSI," he said.