EMBRAPA - Soja | Taxonline

Microbiological collections

EMBRAPA Collection of Multifunctional Microorganism Cultures - Soy: Diazotrophic Bacteria and Plant Growth Promoters

The Embrapa Soja Collection of Multifunctional Microorganisms was started in 1991 and today has around 4,500 microorganisms, mainly nitrogen-fixing bacteria that promote plant growth. Every year improvements are incorporated into the collection, aiming to follow all national and international quality criteria. Microorganisms are stored using at least two methods, deep freezing (-80°C and -150°C) and freeze-drying, and in two different buildings, with double access control.

The collection is recognized internationally and nationally, both for its scientific advances, biotechnological development and source of innovation. The activities are registered in CGEN and SISGEN. In basic research, there are already more than 200 publications addressing the biodiversity of microorganisms in Brazil, as well as in the so-called “omic” sciences, genomics, proteomics, transcriptomics. It also has recognition in the field of phylogeny and taxonomy, with more than 20 new species described in the last decade. Taxonomy is fundamental, for example, for registering patents related to microorganisms. The collection's most relevant role is in agribusiness.

The collection is approved by MAPA (Ordinance No. 17 of MARCH 20, 2018) as an official germplasm bank of microorganisms of agricultural interest, being responsible for the distribution, to industries, of the strains that will be used in commercial inoculants for all crops, for example, soybeans, corn, beans, cowpeas, pastures with brachiaria. Today, the inoculant market in Brazil is in the order of 70 million doses per year, therefore, the distribution of quality genetic material in industries, several of which are in Paraná, is essential. It is also the only quarantine station for inoculant products (MAPA, Ordinance No. 04 of DECEMBER 5, 2018) and the laboratory is registered for inoculant analysis (LAB PR-00037, 08/24/2015, renewed on 08/23/2020 ), providing dozens of services to the public and private sectors every year. In 2020, the first services in the collection were recommended for ISO 17025 accreditation by INMETRO.

The collection has been a source of innovation, with studies that led to the launch of commercial strains for soybean, bean, corn, wheat and brachiaria crops. The perception of the importance of using microorganisms in agriculture is increasing, related to high production, but with sustainability, so that the collection must play increasingly relevant roles.

Embrapa Soja, Laboratório de Biotecnologia do Solo. Rodovia Carlos João Strass, acesso Orlando Amaral, Distrito da Warta, Caixa Postal 231, CEP 86001-970, Londrina, PR, Brasil.