EnBio 2025 – "To feed the world, we must first feed the soil"

The premier event on the use and benefits of biological inputs in extensive crops, EnBio 2025, brought together more than 700 attendees from three Argentine provinces and from Uruguay. The gathering mobilized a multitude of participants including agricultural engineers, rural workers, entrepreneurs, producers, technicians, distributors, and authorities, who came to the city of Victoria, in the province of Entre Rios, Argentina.

The event began with field tours where 10 companies presented soybean and corn trials conducted by the firm Agrodesarrollos, led by Engineer Adrián Mitidieri, featuring a new addition: underground drip irrigation. The 10 stations presented field results and concrete data that were visible to everyone when soybeans or corn were uprooted to compare root development or the number of pods in soybeans, and the health and development of plants, always comparing treated plots against untreated controls.

Attendees could see in the field how different strains of fungi, bacteria, polyphenols, seaweed, and other substances that were tested worked with impressive agronomic success. Additionally, strategies for selective applications and localized applications were presented that reduce herbicide use by a large percentage, as well as underground drip irrigation systems for soybeans and corn that help producers stop suffering from drought.

The Soil, Plants, and Adversities

The talks at EnBio 2025 covered three major areas: soil, plants, and adversities. First, Dr. Luis Wall, a Conicet researcher, explained why maintaining active soil microbiology is necessary and how this impacts plants' ability to capture nutrients.

"Soil biology is very complex, involving millions of microorganisms, and it's a puzzle that should be assembled and maintained if we want better results. Furthermore, there are already published studies indicating that the foods we consume have higher quality and quantity of probiotics, which are good for health, if they are fertilized with greater microbiological activity than if fertilization is exclusively chemical," he stated.

In his turn, Engineer Rodolfo Gil, Director of the Aapresid Chacras System, explained how to detect soil structure problems and avoid agronomic tasks that harm porosity, such as continuous machinery traffic. "To feed the world, we must first feed the soil, and microbiological activity is fundamental. Soil sustains life and biodiversity, is a reservoir of DNA, a carbon reservoir, a filter for contaminants, sustains food production, and is the physical and cultural environment of humanity," he maintained.

The panel of farmers brought together Mario de Pol from Córdoba, Victor Veik from Entre Ríos, and Adrián Turina from Santa Fe, who shared their experiences with the use of biologicals, inoculation, and cover crop management from farmers to farmers. Also noteworthy was the presentation by Engineers Daniel Mazzarella and Juan Pucheta, who presented the development of biological beds for phytosanitary waste management.

Later, Engineer Gianluca, Product Manager of biostimulant technologies at Syngenta, explained how GEA Power technology works, bringing solutions aimed at achieving more sustainable agriculture. "It is based on deep knowledge of active ingredients and raw materials and on extraction processes patented by Syngenta." Next, Engineer Martín Torres Dugan, Academic Coordinator of the Aapresid Biologicals Network, shared the experiences of the thematic network he is in charge of and how the use of biologicals in extensive farming is increasing. Later, Engineers Juan Martin Gange and Natalia Mórtola addressed the use and value of chicken litter, which is abundant in Entre Rios, and the challenges it presents as fertilizer.

On the second day, Engineer Augusto Casmuz from the Obispo Colombres Experimental Station addressed the use of biological insecticides to control corn leafhoppers (Dalbulus maidis). "Biologicals for leafhoppers work and it's a strategy to add. They are products formulated with bacteria, fungi, or viruses that repel or control so that the pest threshold doesn't get out of hand. It's important to give them time to act," he affirmed.

Next, Dr. Gustavo González Anta explained what a biological is and how it acts by stimulating biological processes and therefore improving nutrient availability. "It is key to optimize their absorption and increase tolerance to abiotic stresses. Among the types of biologicals that offer convincing results are humic and fulvic acids that increase plant growth, especially root growth, maintain and improve soil structure, and increase microbiotic activity."

(Editing by Leonardo Gottems, reporter for AgroPages)