CURRENT STATE OF THE USE OF MICROBIAL BIOINPUTS IN COLOMBIA

Abstract

The use of bioinputs in agricultural practices has increased in recent years given the socio- environmental crisis experienced in developing countries, being an alternative that arises in response to the need to replace agrochemical products by sustainable products, and thus preventing negative impacts on the environment. Colombia, a country with an agricultural tradition, is not far behind. Currently, there are approximately 375 bioinputs registered by the Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA), of which 174 are formulations based on microorganisms, which are applied in different production systems and exhibit diverse mechanisms of action. This review analyzed the current status of the use of these microbial bioinputs in the country. It was found that biopesticides are the most widely used bioinputs, regardless of the type of bioinput, and that most formulations use bacteria as the main microorganisms, with Azotobacter sp., Bacillus sp., Burkholderia sp., Lactobacillus sp. and Pseudomonas sp. being the most common genera. Furthermore, it was found that these bioinputs have been mainly applied on productive systems such as fruit trees and cereals.  This coincides with the national agricultural survey carried out by the National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE) in 2019, where it was reported that the greatest agricultural production is concentrated precisely in this type of crops. Accordingly, it can be concluded that the use of bioinputs as an alternative to conventional agricultural practices has been increasing in the country, becoming not only a strategy that promotes sustainability, but also an opportunity for biotechnological development.