Brazil: ISI Biomassa develops biopesticides to counter sudden decline of brachiaria

It is estimated that Brazil has about 170 million hectares of pastures, the vast majority of which consist of brachiaria, a forage plant that serves as food for cattle.

Currently, approximately 70% of this pasture area has degraded due to the misuse of inappropriate agricultural practices and the decline in brachiaria, an increasingly serious issue that has become more evident in the last decade due to the decline of pastures.

Therefore, the Senai Institute for Innovation in Biomass (ISI Biomassa), located in Três Lagoas, in partnership with the company, Geoclean – Nutrition and Plant Protection, from the city of Araraquara, São Paulo, developed an appropriate preventive and curative biopesticide.

The project was also supported by the Senai Institute for Innovation in Mineral Technologies (ISI Tecnologias Minerais), in Pará, the São Paulo State University (Unesp) of Ilha Solteira, and the University of the State of Mato Grosso (Unemat).

The new product contains micro-organisms that effectively counter the pathogen that causes the sudden death of brachiaria. According to Tiago Rodrigues, Researcher at ISI Biomassa, as part of the project, the most effective microorganisms for controlling the disease were selected, followed by the development of a formulation for field application and subsequent testing in pots and the field.

"It is a very complex project that started in 2018 and has now been completed and tested," he said.

Rodrigues also explained that the new product prevents the sudden death of brachiaria, offering farmers greater stability in the cultivation of forage that will have a knock on effect on meat production in terms of quality and quantity of beef protein produced.

"Because it is a biological defensive, the biopesticide responds to market demands throughout the meat production chain, from the producer to the final consumer, who prefers less environmentally aggressive products," he added.

Marcos César Costa, Director of Geoclean, stressed that the partnership with ISI Biomassa was essential to proving the effectiveness of the biopesticide, adding that, currently, further research will be carried out to begin production on a commercial scale.

"Our objective is to increase the range of biological pesticides used in agriculture and help meet the demands of the market for products with less impact on the environment and food safety, also stimulating the market for organic pesticides," he added.