Biofertilizers: an agroecological alternative for production

HIRSCH, MAILÉN; BURGES, PABLO L.; VILLARREAL, NATALIA M.; MARINA, MARÍA

Congreso; VI Congresso Internacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovacao, XXI Encontro Annual de Iniciacao Cientifica da UNIPAR.; 2022

Agroecologyis a discipline that provides the basic ecological principles to study and manageagroecosystems that are productive and economically viable, and at the sametime be conservative of natural and cultural resources and socially fair. Applicationof beneficial microbiomes as biofertilizers or bio-inputs in agroecologypractices has emerged as innovative and environment friendly technology forimproving soil fertility and plant growth. In the last years, in the context ofenvironmental protection and increased demand for chemical-free food products,increasing numbers of producers in Argentina and many other countries startedto make biofertilizers in their establishments. These products made from plantremains, animal manure or milk, bacteria, and fungi are applied in agriculturalproduction as alternatives for crop nutrition in amore ecological, sustainable,and accessible way, allowing more stable crop production and prices. Biologicalinputs have the advantage of maintaining the macro and micronutrients of thesoil through processes such as nitrogen fixation, the solubilisation ofphosphates, mineralization, the contribution of substances that regulate plantgrowth, the production of antibiotics, and the biodegradation of organicmatter. Our working group has spent the last years studying the beneficialbacteria that interact with plants as well as their effects on them. Inaddition, during the last year we have been carrying out a project tocharacterize bio-inputs for agroecological use, reinforcing knowledge aboutthis area of study.