Using biofertilizer on 80% of their planted area, Brazilian soybean growers are enjoying the environmental and economic benefits of employing the microbiome instead of chemical fertilizers.
The microbiome is the community of fungi, bacteria and other microorganisms in a given environment. In farming, it provides the nutrients required by crops and boosts yields. Its use has many economic and environmental benefits.
The case of Brazilian soybeans is one of 14 success stories discussed in a review article on the impact of microbiome research on sectors such as agriculture, fermented products and human health. Published in Frontiers in Microbiology, it was undertaken as part of MicrobiomeSupport, a project to map global microbiome research, focusing on innovation in the food system.
The project involves scientists and companies in 28 countries, including the Genomics for Climate Change Research Center (GCCRC), one of the Engineering Research Centers (ERCs) supported by FAPESP. GCCRC is a partnership with the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA).
"Brazil is one of only a few countries in the world that successfully uses biofertilizer in soybean growing. It's the largest producer and exporter of the commodity. Microorganisms are applied in order to fix nitrogen in 80% of the area planted with soybeans in Brazil. The positive environmental impact is very significant. Carbon emissions into the atmosphere are some 430 million tons of CO 2 equivalent lower thanks to nitrogen-fixing bacteria. This also protects springs and other freshwater sources because chemical nitrogen contaminates rivers," said Rafael de Souza, a co-author of the article. He is a researcher with GCCRC and a founder of Symbiomics, a Brazilian biotech startup that develops next-generation biologics.
Application of microorganisms to the soil also has a significant economic impact. "The war in Ukraine has shown how much we depend on imported chemical fertilizer," Souza said. "Brazil imports some 77% of the nitrogen used to fertilize its farm crops. Soybeans are the only exception. They don't depend on these imports precisely because of the biological nitrogen fixers used by…
Maria Fernanda Ziegler
phys.org