More than 70% of microbiological products in Brazil use strains developed by the Biological Institute of SAA

Date:01-29-2025

The Biological Institute, linked to the São Paulo Agribusiness Technology Agency (Apta), of the São Paulo State Secretary of Agriculture and Supply (SAA), plays a fundamental role in the biological control of Brazilian crops. Twenty years ago, the institution began a partnership with the Japanese company Toyobo for the diffusion of the metarhizium fungus to control sugarcane spittlebug, which transformed the pest management market.

Currently, more than 70% of microbiological products manufactured in Brazil use strains developed by IB. 'Toyobo had a major contamination problem with trichoderma in shimeji cultivation. I researched and discovered that the fungus is used in agriculture as a biological control agent. I found the dissemination of knowledge by the Biological Institute and participated in Dr. José Eduardo's course in Campinas. We established the agreement with IB and started our activity in biological control,' says Minoru Takahashi, CEO of the company.

In 2005, the company ended shimeji cultivation and completely migrated to metarhizium, a genus of fungi used for biological control, serving as a base for various insecticides. The IBCB 425 strain has formulations created by more than 160 companies. Today, Toyobo is the main producer of this strain that is so important for alcohol and sugar production in national territory.

"The IBCB 425 strain is widely used in biological control, covering about 2 million hectares of sugarcane for root spittlebug management and approximately 1 million hectares for pasture spittlebug control," observes José Eduardo Marcondes de Almeida, director of the Reference Laboratory Unit in Biological Control at IB.

"The connection between the Biological Institute and Toyobo resulted in the production of various strains for biological control, which combined, are applied to more than 10 million hectares throughout Brazil. The financial impact is significant, considering that the strains are used in different crops, such as soybean, corn, citrus, vegetables, and fruits," adds researcher José Eduardo Marcondes.

"This story is an example of how science, technology, and strategic partnerships can transform realities and open paths to the future. Together, the Biological Institute and Toyobo achieve economic, social, and environmental results that show the strength of collaborative work in favor of more sustainable and regenerative agriculture," emphasizes IB's general director, Ana Eugênia.

Regarding economics, strain production means cost reduction, thanks to the reduced need for chemical insecticide application, which uses imported molecules. In environmental and social aspects, the scientific development of biological control increases worker safety, reducing possible contamination during handling. Furthermore, the bioinsecticide industry, which grows at a rate of 20% per year, has driven the creation of numerous job opportunities, both at technical and higher levels.

With units in the São Paulo municipalities of Salto and Americana, Toyobo not only produces spores for biological pesticide marketing companies but also generates more than 500 jobs. Founded in Japan in 1882, the company, which started its activities with cotton spinning, arrived in Brazil in 1955, when it established itself in São Paulo as a textile industry. However, it was from 1990, with the production of plant-based enzymes, that the company diversified its operations to include biotechnology. After partnering with IB, the company transformed itself, achieving leadership in the biological control market.

The use of these strains plays a crucial role in building more regenerative and sustainable agriculture. With the development of the biological control sector, there is a reduction of at least 30% in the application of chemical pesticides in various productive crops, with the expectation of reaching 50% by 2050.

For IB researchers, José Eduardo Marcondes de Almeida and Ricardo Harakava, director of the Reference Laboratory Unit in Applied Molecular Biology, the work of the Biological Institute, in partnership with companies like Toyobo, directly contributes to the construction of a new agriculture. This approach, increasingly clean and efficient, combines increased productivity with biological soil improvement, enhanced by biofertilizers, biostimulants, and other innovative biological products.