Innovative Farming Technique: The Use of Agricultural Bio-Inputs by Soybean Farmers in Brazil

Agricultural bio-inputs represent one of the primary alternatives for reducing the use of agrochemicals, as biological engineering offers promising solutions through the use of microorganisms for biological control of pests and diseases, and also reducing the use of fertilizers, using microorganisms that fix biological nitrogen and solubilize nutrients. This study identifies the biological solutions currently available on the market for the main agricultural practices employed in soybean farming, which is the leading agricultural commodity produced in Brazil. Additionally, the study evaluates the adoption levels of these biological alternatives among a sample of 72 farmers from two regions surrounding the city of Brasilia, Brazil. The data were collected from official databases and field surveys conducted with soybean farmers. The findings revealed that 1325 biological technologies are already available in Brazil for nine of the ten main agricultural practices used in soybean farming. Adoption rates among farmers were 41.7% for phosphorus biosolubilizers, 50% for Bacillus thuringiensis and 44.4% for baculoviruses, both used as bioinsecticides, reaching up to 88.9% for bionematicides. Notably, there were significant differences in adoption levels between the two regions analyzed. This study revealed that 82.8% of companies with registered biological products in Brazil were predominantly Brazilian-owned by December 2024, showing that bio-input technology is available, with capital for investment and support for innovation. Bio-inputs already constitute a viable pathway toward more sustainable soybean farming and represent a strategic sector for the advancement of sustainable bioresource engineering in Brazil.