Embrapa Agrobiology and FundaŤ‹o Educacional Charles Darwin (FECD)

http://www.cnpab.embrapa.br/

The Embrapa Agrobiology research institute, founded by Dr Johanna Dobereiner more than 50 years ago, discovered in the past thirty years 9 new species of nitrogen fixating bacteria that interact with sugar cane and other non-legumes. Embrapa Agrobiology is responsible for the co-ordination of research projects on sustainable agriculture based on the extensive use of biological processes for partial or total substitution of chemical fertilisers and increased efficiency of their use.

The transformation of nitrogen and other elements in both agricultural and natural ecosystems and their availability to plants are controlled to a great extent by soil micro-organisms. The emphasis of research work at Embrapa Agrobiology has been to study these organisms and the transformations which they cause in the availability of nutrients required by plants. These include associative rhizobacteria (including Azospirillum brasilense) and endophytic bacteria (e.g. Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus). Embrapa has collaborated closely with K.U.Leuven to elucidate the mechanisms of plant growth promotion found in Azospirillum, and currently uses the latest molecular biology and genomics methods to study PGPR interactions with plants.