Although still considered by many experts an embryonic market, on-farm is yet another technological alternative linked to bioinputs that became popular in the 21st century and has already consolidated itself in terms of market and revenue. The multiplication of microorganisms, such as beneficial bacteria and fungi within farms, not only draws attention for its practicality and benefits to the “producer’s pocket”, but also for bringing increasingly advanced projects in bioprocesses, aiming at the quality of this business, in addition to the opportunity to disseminate a more sustainable management practice in the field.
“The rural producer is eager for innovation and constantly seeks cost reduction by decreasing the use of chemical control tools.” The on-farm production model allows for combining both possibilities, in addition to giving the producer autonomy over their management,” highlights Rafael Garcia, CEO and founder of Agrobiológica Sustentabilidade, a company of the holding Crop Care.
In this multiplication process, the strains are cultivated inside bioreactors installed on the farm. The isolation of these microorganisms can only be done correctly and effectively with the use of the indicated inoculants and a fundamental factor: asepsis. A proper environment and equipment are vital to prevent the culture medium from being contaminated by other bacteria, which can compromise the product’s effectiveness.
In recent years, the market has evolved not only in numbers, but also in technology. Today, on-farm multiplication can be done safely and systematically within farms. “The idea that the multiplication of microorganisms on farms is something done without oversight or quality control is not an absolute truth, quite the contrary.” With the market advancement, many companies offer quality services for the maintenance of biofactories, where the multiplications are carried out, and cutting-edge technical assistance to producers, including a very rigorous after-sales service, through constant analysis of the multiplied microorganisms, performed in laboratories, which guarantees safety and quality, both to the producer and to society in general, the final consumer of everything that is produced on our farms,” explains Bruno Arroyo, Strategic Marketing Manager at Agrobiológica Sustentabilidade.
Solutions for farmers
Agrobiológica Sustentabilidade is a pioneer in on-farm professional multiplication technology in Brazil and has launched OnFarm Service, a service and technical assistance hub that offers a differentiated portfolio for rural producers, helping them achieve better productive performance in the field.
“We developed this platform with the goal of ensuring that growers have access to quality technical assistance within each production profile. Because it is a delicate process, which involves adopting a series of steps to ensure the success of the culture medium multiplication, whether it is a fungus or bacteria, we need to allow the producer to have access to the appropriate machinery for the activity, in addition to the indicated products,” emphasizes Daniele Fontana, PhD in Agronomy from ESALQ/USP and Product Manager at Agrobiológica.
The platform offers several services, such as OnFarm Projects, which consists of developing complete modular or customized biosafety rooms, meeting the demands of each producer. The hub also offers OnFarm Expert, a team of agronomists specialized in the subject and dedicated to ensuring the quality of the microorganism multiplication process on the farms.
Our team develops projects based on the needs of each client, including customized bio-factories, which are clean and climate-controlled locations, suitable for the multiplication of fungi and bacteria in the on-farm system. We offer customized proposals and modular bio-rooms,” says Daniele.
According to Garcia, this model provided by the company drastically reduces the producer’s production cost, since they do not need to bear expenses on equipment and maintenance. “Projects like these are more sustainable, in addition to generating value for our customers.” Our main goal with OnFarm Service is to democratize rural producers’ access to quality technical information and innovations that make their lives easier in the field, always aiming for increasingly sustainable production,” he concludes.
About Crop Care
Crop Care is a Brazilian holding company that operates in the chemical, biological, and specialty fertilizer input market. Among Crop Care’s investments are Agrobiológica Sustentabilidade, an innovative platform for biological and on-farm solutions; Perterra and K2, which have an extensive portfolio of post-patent agrochemicals; Union Agro, a leader in specialty fertilizers; and Cromo Química, specializing in the production of high-performance adjuvants and enhancers for agriculture. Through partnerships with distributors and cooperatives, and direct access to agricultural companies, Crop Care is present in major producing regions of Latin America.
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