Aapresid Congress 2023 – Casafe represents 80% of the Argentine biologicals market

Within the framework of the Aapresid Congress 2023, Casafe organized a round table to discuss bio-inputs and how and why to incorporate them into our production systems.

With more than 350 people present – including AgroPages – they discussed its effectiveness, its complementarity with other products, especially chemical synthesis, and the importance of its use in all production systems.

Federico Elorza, Casafe's Sustainable Management coordinator, introduced the definition of biological products and their position in the market.

He highlighted its importance for the chamber, stressing that ″Casafe represents 80% of the Argentine biologicals market since 75% of its member companies have biologicals in their product portfolio″.

Federico also listed the most common myths and truths about these inputs and highlighted that: ″Actions make a difference. There are no magic products, there are correct ways of doing things. GAP is the key in all production systems″.

Biological products are an exponentially growing alternative. In this line, during the round table, various questions arose that the specialists answered.

One of the most carried out had to do with the efficiency of these products. Given this, it was highlighted that biologicals are as efficient as chemicals.

Gustavo González Anta, Indrasa Scientific Director, added that ″among other things, for bio-inputs to be efficient, the moment of application is key″.

The complementation of technological tools is key to generating more stable systems. Gustavo Ferraris, a researcher from INTA, highlighted that the use of biologicals, under certain conditions, contributes to the enrichment of the soil and added that ″the inoculation process copies a natural process. Without them, the nutrient supply would be less″.

Biologicals are a great alternative for growers to incorporate into their systems. David González, a agricultural producer, and advisor, participated in the panel to share his experience in incorporating bio-inputs into his productive system.

″To implement biologicals in the field, we have reviewed and studied trials, our own and those of others. We then test them for 2-3 years in the field to review their performance. Biologicals are products that work alongside chemical products. That's why we believe they complement each other″, he mentioned.

For his part, Professor Martín Díaz Zorita remarked that biologicals repeat the processes that occur in nature to anticipate moments of greatest need.

In other words, ″with these products, we give plants an additional tool to return to their equilibrium condition″.

Biological products provide microorganisms and compounds essential for plant growth that in many culture conditions are not found in sufficient quantity and activity.

Florencia Accame, Aapresid's Head of strategic projects, introduced the Biological Nutrition Network of her institution and mentioned some of the actions that her association is carrying out to promote its incorporation.

″Given the advance of biological inputs in recent years, the need to have own information on the impact on production and the environment of these inputs was detected. We seek to capture the available data and provide it to the producer to generate the information they need to incorporate the biologicals into their systems″, she stated.

According to Aapresid, there is no doubt that biological products are one of the tools that have grown the most in recent times, due to their effectiveness and high complementary with other products.

″Incorporating them means more technological alternatives for those who produce. As a chamber, we celebrate the existence of these spaces in which the wide variety of innovations in the phytosanitary industry can be shown″, they concluded.

(Editing by Leonardo Gottems, reporter for AgroPages)