URUGUAY: Biologists Study Microorganisms For Greener Cannabis Crops.

Two young biologists seek to improve ecosystems and crops without the use of biochemicals.

After completing their degree in biology Daniel Lassevich and his colleague and friend Alex Ferreira realized that there were no good options to maintain their garden without chemical products. They decided to create Ecosativa, a biotechnology company dedicated to developing bio-inputs for organic and ecological agriculture. The company is planning to expand abroad.

The initial idea was to develop products for cannabis crops. The two biologists quickly developed products for other crops too.

“We study the requirements of each crop to create alternatives. For example, we know that apple trees require more calcium and that pecans need more zinc than other species. Through natural, organic, and ecological methods, we produce bio-inputs for each type of crop as an alternative to agrochemicals, which are those that pollute the soil and water and damage biodiversity and the health of consumers,” Lassevich explained to El País.

“When you eat the peel of an apple that is not organic and that you bought at the fair, you may have more than 30 agrochemicals,” he added.

The most used technique in the Ecosativa laboratory is PCR. Globally known to identify the SARS-CoV-2, PCR identifies essential microorganisms for bio-inputs.

One of the objectives is for biofertilizers to achieve a final production free of chemical residues that reduce the quality and value of the plants. “We have had good results, not only in cannabis but also in apple trees, peaches, and vegetables,” he commented.

Thanks to the recent success of medicinal cannabis in the country, Ecosativa has already increased its production scale although the artisan aspect is maintained to continue being an ecological product.

“We have increased the scale by ten times compared to last year, and we hope to increase ten times more for the next harvest,” said the director of the company.

About the author

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Click to Hide Advanced Floating Content
en_US
×