Startup Revella launches Sylos W-Se biosolution for coffee production in Brazil

AgroPages has received exclusive news about Revella's launch of Sylos W-Se, a nanoselenium-based product offering antioxidant effects, efficient nutrition, and biofortification benefits. 

These characteristics enhance nodulation and biological nutrient fixation, optimizing plant nutrition and protection.

Gabriel Nunes, Materials Engineer, Co-Founder, and CEO of Revella, emphasized that the ingredient provides crucial stress resilience, particularly during severe drought seasons. "It helps crops cope with abiotic stresses like extreme temperatures, salinity, heavy metal toxicity, and biotic stresses such as pest attacks," he explained.

According to Dr. Alexsandra Valério, Revella's technical manager and chemical engineering PhD, extended applications of nanoselenium can reduce the need for nitrogen fertilizers by increasing nodulation and biological nitrogen fixation in crops like soybeans. 

"It stimulates flavonoid and sugar synthesis, promoting nodule formation and providing substrate for nitrogen-fixing bacteria while enhancing ureide production and transport for more efficient nitrogen fixation," she noted.

Increased Coffee Productivity

Ongoing nanotechnology research and advances are providing new agricultural tools. Meeting crop-specific needs, these innovations enhance agrochemical formulation efficiency while promoting more sustainable and environmentally safe farming practices. In coffee cultivation, concrete results show nano flavonoid products effectively boost fungicide performance.

In the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, Floema Plant Nutrition has been conducting field protocols for two years to test nanotechnology efficiency. Company owner Alex Fabiany Mendes, an agronomist specializing in nutritional solutions, has studied this agricultural alternative since 2006. Partnering with Revella, he chose to validate the effects of their nanoadditives in coffee cultivation.

Applications were made during all phases - pre-flowering, post-flowering, filling, fruit development, and maturation - with the main result being better flowering uniformity and setting. 

"Partial results showed increases between 2.5 to 3.2 bags per hectare," Mendes highlighted, adding that during severe drought, areas treated with nanotechnology showed greater leaf retention. 

"With more leaves, plants recover faster. Untreated crops show significantly less foliage," he pointed out.

Revella's nanoproducts are compatible with pesticides, adjuvants, biologicals, and fertilizers. Their main advantages include enhancing agrochemical action, promoting plant vigor, inducing resistance, and contributing to crop health and fungal disease control.

"With high synergy across various formulations, we are seeing improved active ingredient efficiency and reduced plant ethylene production, facilitating agrochemical penetration and resulting in higher productivity without trace element accumulation in soil," Revella's director added.

Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology represented a new nutrient application strategy, offering innovative, targeted delivery through easy translocation via both phloem and xylem. This marks a key difference from traditional technologies - nanotechnology improves adhesion, penetration, and transport across cellular barriers.

Nanoselenium stood out among nanosolution ingredients, showing positive responses across different crops. As an innovative additive, it aimed to transform plant nutrition and protection. As an essential micronutrient, selenium plays a crucial role in human, animal, and microorganism health. While vital in small quantities, selenium has an optimal application range. Therefore, nanoparticles of this compound present significant potential and an efficient alternative for agribusiness.

Revella entered the market in 2011 as a TNS Nano spin-off. Over the past three years, the company has gained more than 32 clients and conducted nearly 100 protocols across 10 Brazilian states, Argentina, and Paraguay.

(Editing by Leonardo Gottems, reporter for AgroPages)