Agri Marine Terra (AMT), a Chilean company founded by agricultural professionals, especially linked to organic agriculture, where productive challenges arise, had the initiative to begin to design high quality and efficient products that were respectful of the environment and could adapt to both organic and conventional and integrated management. Since 2017, AMT has been dedicated to the research, development and production of biological inputs, today having a wide range of products ranging from foliar, soil and seed inoculants, among others.
In an interview, Verónica Rodríguez, technical assistant manager of the company, talks about the company itself, and also about the development of formulations that will provide solutions to the challenges.
What are AMT's greatest strengths as a company and what is Agri Marine Terra's hallmark?
The first thing to highlight about AMT is the rigor of its processes; from the collection and selection of strains, through the entire production chain, to the quality control prior to release to the market; in this last point it is relevant to highlight that each batch goes through a triple quality control, the first being that of the factory, the second carried out by an external laboratory, Ayslab, and a final control carried out by our distribution partner ADAMA, which as an international company, is required to verify that the quality standards are adequate, verifying that the concentration, i.e. the CFU, are those indicated on the label, and that the purity of the formulation does not present any type of contamination that could reduce the quality of the product.
The technical work we do in the field is also important, as we support producers in developing their programs to properly integrate the use of biological products, so that they can obtain and take advantage of the maximum potential in each application. We support in the identification and diagnosis of the different problems that the orchard may be presenting, and we often monitor the recommended treatments, to verify with the producer the effects and improvements on their crop.
At this stage of the season, which AMT organic line of products are most popular for cherry trees?
Biolife Psychro It is the product that is most widely used from leaf fall to flowering, since it is a foliar inoculant formulated with two strains of Trichoderma atriviride and a strain of Bacillus subtilis, which have been selected for their resistance to low winter temperatures, are capable of colonizing plant tissue at temperatures between 0 and 15°C; in addition, this consortium of specific beneficial microorganisms (MOBE's) presents the highest concentration within the products of the category on the market today; this ensures a rapid settlement of the MOBE's in the wounds generated by falling leaves, in pruning cuts and in the micro fractures that occur in some sensitive varieties during spring frosts or at the end of winter.
I should also mention Phyllobacter WP, which is a phyllosphere inoculant made from resistance structures, endospores, of two strains of Bacillus subtilis, which are found at a very high concentration, more than 1×1010 (10 billion) per gram. This formulation is very versatile, since due to the nature of its composition, it can be applied in conjunction with copper or other fungicides, optimizing machinery times in the fields and complementing the application of chemicals.
Thinking about leaf fall, which is the period that is just beginning, what would be the recommendation for using Biolife Psychro?
Ideally an application of Biolife Psychro at the beginning of leaf fall, in order to inoculate all the structures that are already beginning their senescence and invite the arrival of some unwanted microorganisms, then we help the plant to defend itself better, and in turn, as leaf abscission begins, they will be colonized with the microorganisms of Biolife Psychro, these small wounds facilitating their healing. Then it is advisable to repeat 50 to 75% of fallen leaves to reestablish the populations of beneficial microorganisms in what remains of the process. Finally, a third application is recommended that can be made to coincide with pruning, which is one of the most important uses of Biolife Psychro, given that the Trichoderma They are able to rapidly colonize cuts in the wood, establishing themselves as a biological barrier while the Bacillus By generating biofilms, they facilitate and accelerate proper and clean healing. The recommended standard dose is 250 g/ha, with a maximum wetting of 1500 L.
If you could briefly name the 3 main attributes of Biolife Psychro, what would they be?
1°- The ability of microorganisms to Biolife Pyschro to germinate, establish and grow on plant tissue at low temperatures (0-15°C).
2°- That Biolife Psychro It is a consortium of microorganisms with the highest concentration on the market, which ensures rapid and effective colonization.
3°- The quality of the formulation is irrefutable, both in its purity and in the effectiveness of its strains, since each batch goes through a triple quality control, each one done by certified laboratories.
From three replicates per dilution, an average of 1 fungal colony was observed in 100 μL of the 1 x 10-8 dilution. This is equivalent to a count of 1 x 109 CFU/g.
