‘Brazilian farmer is attentive to the best technologies on the market’ says Camila Vargas, co-founder of Bioin

Biological technologies will grow a lot in the coming years while sustainable agriculture is on a path of no return, not only for environmental or preservation issues but for cost reduction, improvement of the production process and greater productivity.

The farmer must have different products at his disposal to become more autonomous and independent in his decisions. All this, combined with quality technical education, is the way to a cleaner and more sustainable agriculture.

Camila Corrêa Vargas is co-founder of Bioin Biotecnologia, a company created within the Federal University of Rio Grande Do Sul (UFRGS) and already had its first biopesticide approved in Brazil – the microwasp Trichogramma pretiosum. In this interview, she talks about her trajectory, the Brazilian bioinput market and the development of new biotechnologies that Bioin intends to launch in the coming years.

What is the story of BioIn?

The beginning of BioIn merges a little with my academic history. In 2017, I was a doctoral student at the Faculty of Agronomy at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul. During this period, I decided I wanted to take my research off the ground and turn it into a viable product for farmers. My doctoral research was related to the species Trichogramma pretiosum, a microwasp that controls eggs that will give rise to caterpillars in various agricultural crops. So, I found a way to make that wish come true in entrepreneurship. I discovered that at the university where I was studying, there were several programs aimed at university entrepreneurship, and I started to participate in all that was available. I also learned about the existence of the technology incubators present at the university through a laboratory colleague who later became my partner. We participated in the selective incubation process at the UFRGS Biotechnology Center and were approved. In 2018, the company was formally incorporated and continued to be incubated at the university, where we develop the company's technologies. Today the company has a team specializing in biology, agronomy, biotechnology, chemical engineering, and administration, in addition to PhDs in the area of phytotechnics.

What are the leading solutions developed?

BIOIN focuses on the development of products for biological pest control. Our first product approved by the Ministry of Agriculture is BIOIN-TRICHO-P, based on Trichogramma pretiosum. The species are egg parasitoid microwasps, which, when released in the field, find the pest and lay their egg inside the caterpillar egg. That way, a new wasp will emerge instead of a caterpillar. Thus, the cycle continues, and the crop ecosystem is in balance. One can use the product in important agricultural pests such as Tuta absoluta (tomato moth), Spodoptera frugiperda (cob caterpillar), Helicoverpa zea (cob caterpillar), Anticarsia gemmatalis (soybean caterpillar) and Cryptoblabes gnidiella (curl moth).

Which biopesticides have been demanded?

In general, we have a high demand for biopesticides for managing caterpillars, bed bugs, whiteflies, thrips and fruit flies. These pests have an extensive range of host plants, being a problem in most agricultural crops. However, many demands are seasonal and become a problem at specific seasons. For example, in recent maize harvests, many crops had issues with the maize spittlebug (Dalbulus maidis). Therefore, one observed a great movement to develop specific biopesticides for this crop.

What need have you observed among Brazilian farmers when it comes to bioinputs?

A constant need for novelties, solutions and innovation. The Brazilian farmer is attentive to the best technologies on the market. The farmer knows the future lies in sustainable agriculture and constantly seeks to improve its management. Biological inputs are no longer new and are currently constantly in agricultural production. And here we are talking with farmer families to large agricultural companies. In this way, what I observe is an excellent movement towards constant improvement of production processes, and this goes through bioinputs. In this sense, there are some better points, and the main one, in my experience, is assistance to rural producers. In addition to offering a new bioinput, it is essential to explain the advantages and disadvantages of its use to the producer. In the same way, it is vital to pass on the technical recommendations so that the producer knows how to apply them, what is the mode of action and how to optimize the production processes. Therefore, it is useless for the market to develop excellent products if this knowledge does not reach the rural producer.

What potential do you see in the future?

Huge! The segment of bioinputs is in total growth, and the market is very heated. According to data from Embrapa (Meyer et al. 2022), the sector could reach R$16.9 billion, considering an accumulated growth rate of 35% by 2025 and 25% by 2030. According to the same source, the Brazilian market has grown annually at 42%, while globally, the rate is 16%. In other words, the data already shows the potential of the market. But beyond the data, what we see in the field is a greater interest of farmers in biological inputs. There is a constant search for solutions that go beyond the use of chemical pesticides. That moves the market. That is why we are seeing the emergence of several companies in the bioinput sector in general. Bioinsecticides, nematicides, biofertilizers and biological herbicides are some of the products developed by nascent companies in the sector. Even the most consolidated companies in the production of chemical pesticides are already developing their ″bio″ products or joining other companies with experience in the sector.

What new technologies does the company intend to launch in the coming years?

BioIn is currently working on the launch of two new products. The first is Telenomus podisi, a parasitoid wasp of bed bug eggs, a pest in soybean and rice cultivation. The species presents excellent results in cultivation and can be used in conventional and organic productions. The second is Diachasmimorpha longicaudata, a parasitoid wasp of fruit fly larvae (Anastrepha fraterculus and Ceratitis capitata). The product can be used by fruit growers who produce apples, citrus, peach, grapes, etc. Both products can be used in organic or conventional crops, helping to control pests.

What are the expansion plans for the near future?

Bioin is in the process of expanding to other regions of Brazil. We intend to act with greater intensity in the Southeast and Midwest regions in the grain market and the Southeast and Northeast in the fruit market. This is our vision for the coming years, and that is why we are developing new biological technologies.

BioIn today follows a national expansion plan. Brazil has very rich and diversified agriculture and therefore presents an enormous potential for registration for many species. We intend to act directly in cultivating vegetables, grains and fruit. Consequently, we have an increasing demand for new products due to development. However, we always look for changes and opportunities in the international market. Therefore, with the aim of internationalization, we are creating a network of contacts and evaluating potential markets.

(Editing by Leonardo Gottems, reporter for AgroPages)