Brazil approves next-generation biocontrol production for soybeans and corn

Brazil’s biosafety regulator CTNBio has for the first time approved the commercial use of genetically modified microorganisms for the production of biological crop protection products. The approval was granted to Bioma, part of the Cogny group.

The technology uses GM microorganisms not directly in fields, but inside closed industrial bioreactors. They produce protective metabolites, enzymes and other compounds, after which the living modified cells are removed or destroyed.

The approach is expected to improve the stability and effectiveness of biological products compared with those based on natural strains, which can lose activity under ultraviolet light, rainfall and other field conditions.

The developers plan to use the new products primarily to protect soybeans, corn and sugarcane from diseases and environmental stress. The company also plans to launch products aimed at improving drought tolerance by 2027.

CTNBio’s decision opens the way for broader use of biotechnology in crop protection production in Brazil and could intensify competition between biological products and conventional agrochemicals.

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