Less than a month before the start of strawberry field planting and within the context of a campaign marked by restrictions on the use of soil disinfectants, farmers are faced with a lack of alternatives to ensure the sanitary viability of their crops. Given this scenario, it is essential to incorporate new solutions, such as biofertilisers, which are key allies to ensure crop health and productivity.
TRICHODEX® is aware of this challenge and addresses this problem as a company with expertise in agricultural biotechnology. Developing new technologies to restore the microbiome and reduce the effects of stress on crops. Thus successfully reducing the impact of climate change on agriculture through highly innovative biotechnological processes.
A healthy and balanced microbiome is the best way to protect your crops, as it plays an important role in plant development and the way plants cope with stress.
Optimising new microbial consortia is a daunting research task, being dedicated to not only the study of microorganisms, but also to their interaction with the plant and the environment they inhabit.

Our registered biofertilisers have extensive experience in cultivating strawberries of the different varieties that exist on the market, obtaining very satisfactory results, as shown in the figure.

The 2023-2024 campaign was marked by weather events (Storm Bernard, high temperatures in winter and rain during Easter Week), as well as uncertainty regarding the availability of irrigation in the Doñana area at the beginning of the campaign, which caused a delay in planting and therefore crop production (MAPA [Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food] ,2024).
Under these conditions, the advantages of our biofertilisers in strawberry cultivation have been proven. Using VIBACTER® on the “Inspire” strawberry variety, incorporated into irrigation at the crop’s 4 stages, increases the harvest by 32.61%, surpassing the commercial reference and offering benefits for the farmer equal to 18,600 euros/ha.

*Production increases compared to the control without microorganisms.
*Data from 28 collections provided by the farmer.

Strawberry producer price in the region during the 2023-2024 harvest campaign: €1.85/kg.
Source: http://www.juntadeandalucia.es/agriculturaypesca/observatorio/servlet/FrontController

The results obtained in the trial carried out with BACNIFOS® on the “Inspire” strawberry variety are shown below.
Plants treated with BACNIFOS® produce a total of 623.81 g/plant, compared to 515.10 g/plant with the treatment of the commercial reference (Bacillus sp.) and 489.37 g/plant in the control. This represents a production increase of 27.47% in the plots treated with BACNIFOS® compared to the control. The commercial reference obtains a production increase of 5.26%, a percentage much lower than the TRICHODEX® strategy. This increase entailed a benefit for the farmer of 15,669 euros/ha.

*Production increases compared to the control without microorganisms.
*Data from 28 collections provided by the farmer.

Data provided by the Farmer. Strawberry producer price in the region during the 2023-2024 harvest campaign: €1.85/kg.
Source: http://www.juntadeandalucia.es/agriculturaypesca/observatorio/servlet/FrontController
This same strategy was evaluated on the “Marquis” strawberry variety, where the plants treated with BACNIFOS® produced a total of 20,185 kg/ha, compared to 15,566 kg/ha in the control plot during the experimental period. This represents a production increase of 29.68% in the plot treated with BACNIFOS® compared to the control. This production increase has a profit margin of 8,545 euros/ha.

*Production increases compared to the control without microorganisms.
*Data from 47 collections provided by the farmer.

Data provided by the Farmer. Strawberry producer price in the region during the 2023-2024 harvest campaign: €1.85/kg.
Source: http://www.juntadeandalucia.es/agriculturaypesca/observatorio/servlet/FrontController

All these results once again demonstrate how the use of PGPR bacteria-based products optimises the nutritional and physiological status of the plant and prepares it for future challenges.
REFERENCES
- MAPA (Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food), 2004. https://www.mapa.gob.es/eu/agricultura/temas/producciones-agricolas/analisisfrutosrojoscampana2023_2423deabril2024_tcm35-680918.pdf
* Images in Spanish
To find out more about what biotechnology is, its types and applications, the AgroTech and BioTech projects that we carry out at Fertiberia, and the biotechnological products that we develop, visit our specific section with related information.