Fertilizer that uses agricultural waste is a new license from the University of Concepción

Among the challenges facing agriculture is the increase in prices that fertilizers are experiencing. Especially those mineral fertilizers that provide nitrogen, have increased their value by almost 300%, given their global shortages after the pandemic. This input is basic for farmers, who require this additional contribution of nutrients to obtain an adequate production of cereals, vegetables and fruits.

Faced with this problem, a researcher from the University of Concepción developed a foliar liquid biofertilizer, called Biotafert, which takes advantage of agricultural residues to convert them into a fertilizer for crops. This new product has the additional advantage of being made locally, thus ceasing to depend on international markets for its commercialization in the country.

The research behind this product began with various research projects, directed by Dr. Cristina Muñoz Vargas, from the UdeC Faculty of Agronomy. Her idea was to observe the use of different agricultural residues and forms of stabilization, originating materials with potential uses, especially in bioremediation and bioremediation of soils, organic amendments and others. The objective was to find a way to promote sustainable agriculture.

This is how, after studies and prototype tests, Dr. Muñoz managed to generate a product with potential as a biofertilizer. For the field tests, Muñoz had the support of agronomist Jorge Ducros, a former student of the University of Concepción, who is a producer of cherries for export. With this important ally, it was possible to obtain data that allowed validating the product and determining its efficiency.

collaborate to transfer

This story could have ended here, but Dr. Muñoz was anxious to take her research to another level. “The investigations we have carried out have generated products with the potential to be implemented at the farm level; however, I had not had the possibility of connecting them with the business world so that the productive scaling could be carried out ”, she explained. The OTL UdeC technology manager, Muriel Sandoval Latif, became a bridge that helped the academic learn about other instruments that will allow her to transfer her new knowledge to the application. Thus, the necessary triad to move towards the market was completed: research, protection of new knowledge and entrepreneurship.

The knowledge and experiences of Muñoz and Ducros complemented each other, creating the company Suelo Vivo Bioinsumos SPA in June of this year, which will be in charge of scaling up the production and commercial validation of this product. “The motivation for the creation of bio-inputs lies in the need to generate sustainable alternatives, both at an environmental and economic level to face the serious effects of inflation and restore the quality of the soil,” explained Ducros, who highlighted the potential development of the product .

This commitment reached a new milestone, with the signing of the license for this technology to the university spin-off. The generation of a company with a scientific-technological base thus opens a new stage, “to promote the transfer of these technologies in the national market. That is why we formed the spin-off with Jorge, whom I already knew when he was my thesis student in Agronomy. This is how this venture emerged, which creates a new professional challenge for us and which, with the support of our families and the University of Concepción, we hope to generate results in the medium term.”

Agriculture and circular economy

The company will then have the capacity to produce and commercialize the results of these investigations; a 100% organic fertilizer, without artificial additives and generated by biological activity, rich in nutrients, low cost and due to its liquid presentation, easy to apply on farms.

Andrea Catalán Lobos, executive director of OTL UdeC, commented on this process: “It is an example of the formation of a human team that complements their abilities and skills in order to bring the results of Research and Development to the market. A dream of many researchers that comes true today thanks to the decision of Dr. Muñoz to venture into a business, in the right company. From the UdeC, we are committed to supporting and accompanying them in the process. In fact, Dr. Muñoz is now applying to the Incuba UdeC Conectadas program, through which she will be able to access business training and mentoring.”

All the products used to make this biofertilizer are obtained from waste, including pruning, vegetable and fruit remains. It is then an important example of how the circular economy can also be developed in agriculture. This fact was highlighted by Jorge Carpinelli Pavisich, director of Development and Innovation at the University of Concepción: “We are very committed to being able to transfer research results to applications with a direct and positive impact on the circular economy. This is a very outstanding characteristic of how valuable and pertinent this initiative is, which from the VRID, through its OTL, we have been supporting with a successful licensing process”, he assured.

After signing the license, the University of Concepción will continue to support these entrepreneurs, as the spinoff has requested support measures in terms of the use of university infrastructure to complete the technical validation stages.