Native Microorganisms Developed for Cacao Disease Control

Currently, one of the great challenges in agriculture is reducing the use of agrochemicals, due to their impact on the environment and the risks they pose to health. Faced with this problem, the Toribio Rodríguez de Mendoza National University of Amazonas (UNTRM), through the Research Institute for Sustainable Development of Ceja de Selva (INDES-CES), has been developing sustainable alternatives, such as the use of native microorganisms capable of protecting crops like cocoa. A recent study evaluated the conservation and field effectiveness of seven Amazonian yeast strains, known for their potential as biocontrol agents against cocoa diseases. The objective was to test simple and economical methods to keep them alive and effective during storage and application. For this, a process called lyophilization was used, which consists of dehydrating microorganisms at low temperatures, applying accessible protectants such as maltodextrin, honey, powdered milk, among others. The results ...