Biostimulant plus inoculant, a formula that improves soybean yield by up to 15%

In the extreme conditions of the Puna de Catamarca, a team of biotechnology experts discovered a consortium of bacteria in association with native plants and isolated them, with the innovative vision of transferring their benefits to major crops in the national agroindustry.

Co-inoculation with Bradyrhizobium and Kunza improves nodulation and yield for all productive conditions.

This is how Kunza was born , as a biostimulant that reduces stress and increases crop yields, due to Puna bacteria and its particular characteristics.

Kunza is a seed treatment developed by the company, Puna Bio, formulated based on bacteria known as "extremophiles," which live in extreme conditions, such as those present in the highest salt flats in the Puna of northwestern Argentina. These bacteria imbues crops with tolerance to drought, stress and salinity conditions, and, therefore, increases yields.

Since May 2020, CKC has been working together with Puna Bio to test and develop this product in different locations and environments and on various crops. From the results of these tests, it is possible to conclude that Kunza increases yields by between 10 and 15%.

Average yield increase in soybean product from trials at 19 sites and over two campaigns.

Kunza was evaluated in field trials over two campaigns involving renowned researchers, such as Gustavo Ferraris, Luis Ventimiglia, Edgardo Arévalo and Federico Morla, among others.

From these trials carried out throughout the country, it can also be concluded that the co-inoculation of Kunza, in conjunction with Bradyrizhobium from CKC Liquid Soy, creates a synergy that favors greater yields, higher yield stability and better sanitary behavior in crops.

The field trials were complemented by laboratory analyzes, in which the agronomic and physiological reasons for why Kunza had a positive impact on yields began to be discovered. It fixes nitrogen, solubilizes phosphorus, produces siderophones, forms biofilm, and produces auxins, polyamines and enzymes, which protect seeds from pathogenic fungi.

The benefits of Kunza are not only limited to soils with dry or saline conditions, but it also assists the development of soybeans in fertile soils. The precise innovation of the product is the use extremophile bacteria to improve cultivation in both difficult conditions and good soils.

Kunza is already at the commercial stage in the agricultural market and is marketed by CKC Laboratories and its distribution network throughout the country. "From CKC, we are extremely committed to promoting Kunza and its application in combination with Bradyrhizobium from CKC Liquid Soy," said Eng. Adolfo Mac (Commercial Manager of CKC). "We have been commited for years to providing high-quality biological solutions and proven efficacy, to ensure the bioavailability of nutrients in our soils, which translates into more productivity and profitability for Argentine producers,″ he added.

Kunza also stands out for being a biotechnology innovation developed jointly by Argentine companies, and is produced entirely at the CKC Laboratories Industrial Plant in the INTA Castelar Technological Innovation Park.