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Is Blockchain the Solution for Agribusiness? In recent years, concerns about food security and ESG practices have increased, leading to a greater appreciation of product origin. Blockchain emerges as a solution for tracking agricultural supply chains. Studies indicate that global investments in blockchain in agriculture could reach $948 million by 2025, with a compound annual growth rate of 48.1% since 2020.

“The data points to growth in the agribusiness sector, mainly due to the security that blockchain technology brings and for creating certification and traceability systems that guarantee the sustainable origin of products, benefiting both consumers and producers. So, I can affirm that exploring and adopting this technology strategically ensures significant benefits that can further boost growth, competitiveness, and trust in the market,” says Diego Guareschi, CMO of Hathor.

Blockchain offers advantages to the market, promoting transparency, efficiency, and sustainability in production. It functions as a decentralized, fraud-proof database, recording operations in chained and immutable blocks, allowing for subsequent analysis of stored information through verifiers.

“A good example of this is the use of QR Codes on product packaging, which when scanned provide data such as water, fertilizer, and energy use in cultivation, as well as the amount of carbon emitted in the process. At the same time, the tool also helps the producer to have better control of their operations, optimizing time and resources by unifying everything in one platform,” he indicates.

He concludes by saying that “by spreading transparency and traceability, blockchain is able to substantially contribute to ensuring a greater commitment to the ESG agenda of one of the important sectors of the Brazilian economy, promoting security and trust among all involved. In the coming years, we can expect its use to continue to grow in the country, driving innovation in agribusiness and increasing competitiveness in the market at the national and international levels.”

Leonardo Gottems

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Brazilian company Nortox has unveiled to MKTPlace its latest innovation for soybean disease control: Scudeiro, an exclusive and unprecedented fusion designed to combat rust and target spot. This fungicide, composed of Protioconazole and Tebuconazole, has been meticulously crafted to stand out as the primary choice for the initial soybean application.

Commercial Director João Marcos Ferrari emphasizes Nortox’s commitment to providing comprehensive solutions for farmers, extending beyond the mere sale of active ingredients. According to him, all possible combinations among fungicide groups were tested, leading to the conclusion of the mixture of two triazoles.

In turn, Célio Hiroyuki Fudo, Product Development Manager, stated that the synergy between Protioconazole and Tebuconazole ensured “efficacy in controlling Asian rust,” demonstrating “excellent performance in combating other soybean diseases.”

Thiago Polles, Market Development Leader, highlights that Scudeiro is a broad-spectrum systemic fungicide, registered for various crops such as cotton, corn, wheat, barley, and sorghum, eliminating the need for adjuvant oil.

The distinctive formulation of Scudeiro, developed in 27 research institutions in Brazil and Cooperative Trials, has proven effective in controlling diseases such as target spot and Asian rust, ensuring productivity and being selective for soybean cultivation.

Maicom Tumiate, Registration and Development Manager, emphasizes the prioritization of the product by the Ministry of Agriculture due to its exclusive and innovative composition, combined with the technical product synthesis and formulation in Brazil.

Lucas Morais, Marketing Coordinator – Communication, underscores that the launch of Scudeiro marks the continuation of the company’s new communication positioning in the market. Celebrating 70 years in April 2024, Nortox adopts a new marketing strategy for Scudeiro and upcoming innovations, moving away from the tradition of naming products after the predominant active ingredient.

Leonardo Gottems

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Agrotoken has partnered with Santander to launch “the world’s first experience” of providing resources through tokens based on agricultural commodities.

For each token, there is a ton of grains that the producer has sold and delivered to a grain trading and agricultural production company. Similarly, all tons are validated through a Proof of Grain Reserve (PoGR) – a transparent, secure, decentralized, and auditable system at all times through a modern security infrastructure.

Once producers have their digital assets, agro tokens can be used for various operations, taking into account three price indices defined in conjunction with the Matba Rofex Group (a market where financial and agricultural futures and options are traded), reflecting the real-time value of grains. Since the beginning of 2021, several operations have been conducted, demonstrating the usability of crypto assets in exchange for various types of inputs, trucks, machinery, and real estate, among other things.

Eduardo Novillo Astrada, CEO and co-founder of Agrotoken states that they are “creating, together with Santander, various financial products to offer agricultural producers a service through which they can easily and smoothly access a new credit system backed by the sale of their grains.”

“At Santander Argentina, we have technology and innovation to generate new business solutions that make life easier and expand opportunities for agricultural producers. This is the first time that a financial services platform using blockchain technology and crypto assets to expand the agricultural credit market and unleash the business potential of the producer,” said Fernando Bautista, Head of Agribusiness at Santander Argentina.

The bank announced that it “believes in technology” and will invest $225 million in this area in Argentina. According to them, it is the first time that a global financial services platform links tokens of agricultural products to financial products, using blockchain technology to generate new business and make the process more efficient.

Leonardo Gottems

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Vegetable bioactivator-controlling nematodes can be associated with fertilizers.

Derived from plant sources, the Organic Bloom vegetable bioactivator has been drawing the attention of technicians and farmers as an efficient organic alternative in combating the main species of nematodes that cause damage to crops such as soybeans, corn, beans, and cotton. In addition to being effective in controlling reniform nematodes, along with gall, cyst, and lesion nematodes, Organic Bloom has studies confirming its ability to solubilize phosphorus, induce resistance against nematodes in soybean plants, and synergize with biological products formulated with bacteria and fungi.

According to agronomist Cristiane dos Reis, Director of Research and Development (R&D) at Ingal Agrotechnology, studies were conducted in collaboration with nematologist Dr. Cristiano Bellé from the Phytus Institute, confirming the effectiveness of Organic Bloom against nematodes when incorporated into organomineral fertilizer formulations.

The research was conducted in greenhouse and field settings in soybean (Glycine max) cultivation. Various organomineral fertilizer formulations treated with Organic Bloom were compared to their standards and also to mineral fertilizers regarding plant productivity parameters and mitigation of the root-knot nematode, Meloidoyne javanica.

In the greenhouse trial, 30 days after the application of Organomineral treated with 2 Liters.Ton-1 of Organic Bloom, there was efficiency in controlling Meloidogyne javanica eggs and juveniles in 100 cm3 of soil, with reductions of 46.2% and 43.2% compared to the control treatment, respectively. At 60 days after the application of organomineral in the soil, the highest response was observed in juvenile control, with an efficiency of 35.6%.

Field trials were conducted in Júlio de Castilhos/RS and showed more significant results compared to the same dose used in the greenhouse. At 30 days, efficiency of 46.8% and 48.2% in controlling eggs and juveniles in the soil was observed, with a similar result found in nematode control in soybean roots.

“Unexpectedly, the efficiency levels for both young plants and soil-buried eggs, as well as soybean roots, were sustained at consistent levels even 60 days after the introduction of organomineral fertilizer into the soil. The results, however, went beyond nematode control, as during the trial, factors related to soybean plant physiology, such as fresh root and shoot mass, were benefited, resulting in a productivity increase of 6.54 sc/ha,” commented Cristiane dos Reis.

According to her, the result contributes to strengthening studies initiated in 2021 by Ingal Agrotechnology. Preliminary tests were conducted on the treatment of mineral fertilizers with Organic Bloom, and promising results led to the development of the first organomineral enriched with Organic Bloom in the state of Paraná.

Ingal Agrotechnology’s Commercial Leader for the Southern Region, Estevão Terra Caetano, also established the technology in the cassava market. It is important to note that results have already been obtained in wheat cultivation. The research will continue with various organomineral fertilizer formulations and will be presented at the 35th Symposium of the European Society of Nematologists in April 2024 in Spain.

The results reveal that the addition of Organic Bloom to mineral (NPK) and organomineral fertilizers promotes greater root development and soybean plant growth. In addition to the benefits related to the crop, the combat against the main nematodes in the soil was verified in the first 30 days after emergence.

Treatments with NPK + Organic Bloom (2 L per ton of NPK in the 5-20-20 formulation) and Organomineral + Organic Bloom (2 L per ton of organomineral) achieved control efficiencies of 38.6% and 43.2% on juveniles and 38.5% to 46.5% on Meloidogyne javanica eggs. In the roots, control efficiency ranged from 31.3% for NPK + Organic Bloom to 38.2% for Organomineral + Organic Bloom on juveniles and remained at a similar level on Meloidogyne javanica eggs.

In the 60-day evaluation after emergence, greater control efficiency of Meloidogyne javanica juveniles occurred in the soil, 30.1% and 35.6% for NPK and Organomineral treated with Organic Bloom, respectively. Regarding the roots, the highest percentage of control was observed on nematode eggs, 39.2% in the NPK + Organic Bloom treatment and 32.2% in the Organomineral + Organic Bloom treatment.

Leonardo Gottems