Joint study tour of the Argentina and Uruguay expert dialogs on bioinputs
From Sep, 1-6, 2024, an Argentine-Uruguayan expert delegation made a fact-finding tour of Germany, organized by two projects funded by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) and implemented by IAK Agrar Consulting GmbH: the German-Argentine Dialogue on Sustainable Agricultural Innovations and the German-Uruguayan Technical Agricultural Dialogue. The delegation was made up of representatives from the Ministries of Agriculture, the national agricultural research institutes INIA (Uruguay) and INTA (Argentina) and other institutions. They were accompanied by the project management team of IAK Agrar Consulting GmbH and GFA Consulting Group GmbH.
The aim of the trip was to gain in-depth insights into the development and regulation of bioinputs, which play a key role in agricultural sustainability. Bioinputs (also "bioinsumos" in Spanish) are natural products or living organisms used in agriculture to promote plant growth or control pests. They play an essential role in reducing the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers and contribute to sustainability in agriculture.
The first stop was the Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME) in Schmallenberg. After the institute presented its work, evaluation methods for biofuels were discussed. At the Neu-Ulrichstein Research Center in Homberg (Ohm), field trials on ecotoxicology were demonstrated and the regulatory challenges in the area of biocontrol products in Germany and the EU were discussed. In addition, BASF Agricultural Solutions in Limburgerhof offered insights into the research and development of crop protection products with a special focus on biocontrol agents. The tour continued to the Dienstleistungszentrum Ländlicher Raum Rheinpfalz (DLR), where practical research in horticulture and viticulture was presented. The effectiveness of hot water treatment for fungal control in viticulture was impressively demonstrated here. At the Institute for Biological Plant Protection at the Julius Kühn Institute (JKI) in Dossenheim, visitors were given an insight into biological pest control and research into horticultural crops and their sustainable use during a tour of apple, cherry, pear and grapevine crops.
The event concluded with a seminar on the regulation and development of bio-ingredients, in which the Institute for Agricultural Law at the University of Göttingen presented legal aspects in connection with bio-ingredients. The JKI supplemented this with an analysis of the approval procedures for biostimulants. In addition, the Augustenberg Agricultural Technology Center presented the integration of biological plant protection in Baden-Württemberg. The experiences from Uruguay and Argentina were also explained and the presentations by the respective ministries enabled a valuable exchange on regional perspectives and challenges.
The trip provided an excellent opportunity to share knowledge, establish international networks and further intensify cooperation on bio-ingredients between Germany, Argentina and Uruguay.