Chile launches National Center of Bioinputs to reduce agrochemicals use

Through the Agricultural Research Institute (INIA), Chile announced to AgroPages the inauguration of the first National Center of Bioinputs (CeNBI). The entity will coordinate the technological development of microbiologically sourced inputs, such as biostimulants and biocontrollers, for tackling pests, agricultural diseases, and crop stresses due to climate change effects.

In Chile, the situation is even more complex, as the consumption of agrochemicals is double the average of countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). This makes it one of the countries that consumes most of these pest and disease control products for agriculture. The CeNBI facilities include a Microbial Genetic Resources Bank, where the country's microbial heritage is preserved with international recognition and celebrating its 10th year.

According to the national director of INIA, Iris Lobos, "the use of agrochemicals affects the health of consumers and agricultural workers, leading to environmental deterioration due to water pollution; it reduces biodiversity and increases the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere." She said, for this reason, the ministry established this center to "focus all scientific and productive development on bioinputs, thereby increasing the supply of ecological and effective products for the industry and ensuring safety for end consumers." According to Lobos, the goal is "to reduce the levels of agrochemicals in local agriculture: Our priority lies in the development of what we call TAS technologies, that is, technologies for the transition to sustainable agriculture, and this center serves that logic."

Fabiola González, national deputy director of SAG (Agriculture and Livestock Service) of Chile, said, "This center will mark a paradigm shift in the use of agrochemicals in the territory, representing more science and technology for our agriculture."

"This center is essential for the development of bioinputs, which is part of the ministry's strategy in pursuit of the country's food sovereignty and security," she added.

CeNBi will have researchers, infrastructure, and equipment for pilot testing on an industrial scale and commercial mass production of bioinputs, based on native microorganisms from all over Chile that have been collected by INIA and preserved in the institution's Microbial Resources Bank, the only one in Latin America and recognized by international entities. Currently, it produces two technologies developed at INIA: the innovative line of endophytic probiotics under the brand Endomix, and the Entomopathogenic Fungi HEP-BioINIA, created more than 20 years ago but renewed to meet current consumer demands. With the creation of CeNBI, Chile hopes to reduce the time for transferring technologies from developers to local and international producers.

It is estimated that the demand for biological products in Chile, such as biofungicides and bioinsecticides, in 2021 generated over US$9 million annually. This market is expected to increase to more than $12.14 million by 2025, according to projections from the consultancy New Genesis. INIA Quilamapu researcher Lorena Barra, in charge of CeNBI, emphasized that the center "aims to develop market-focused technologies for companies and cooperatives for mass production." According to her, CeNBi is expected to produce 15,000 doses of bioinputs in a solid-state fermentation system based on fungi and design sufficient stock of biological products for 85,000 agricultural hectares in the country in the medium term.

(Editing by Leonardo Gottems, reporter for AgroPages)

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