By Comunicaciones

The microbial biodiversity of the soil, or microbiome, plays a key role in plant growth and health, thanks to the unique metabolic capacities that microorganisms provide. They contribute to improving nutrient bioavailability and protecting plants against biotic and abiotic stress factors. Harnessing the potential of the soil microbiome is essential for developing new biotechnologies that optimize fertilizer use, thereby increasing agricultural yield.

This webinar will focus on the key microbiome processes that benefit plants, and on emerging biotechnologies based on fertilizer additives and soil amendments designed from these mechanisms.

Panelists:

  • Walter Sandoval, a biologist from the National University of Asunción (UNA) in Paraguay, holds a master’s degree in Microbiology from North Carolina State University (NCSU) as a Fulbright Scholar. His awarded doctoral thesis at NCSU focused on the physiology of bacteria for advanced biofuels and greenhouse gas capture. Walter conducted his postdoctoral research in Chemical Biology at Harvard University, exploring the modulation of the human gut microbiota. He currently serves as Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) at MicroBios SA.
  • Cassidy Million, Ph.D., a biologist from the University of Southern Indiana, USA, holds a master’s and doctorate in Plant Pathology from Ohio State University and currently serves as Vice President of Agricultural Sciences at Heliae® Agriculture, responsible for overseeing agronomy training, product performance testing, and the Soil Microbiome Laboratory.

📅 : March 21, 2025

🕒 : 10:00 AM (EST, Washington DC)

🔗 : Free registration here: https://forms.office.com/r/cA0Q0mWnYa

 

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About FONTAGRO

FONTAGRO was created 1998 with the purpose of promoting the increase of the competitiveness of the agri-food sector, ensuring the sustainable management of natural resources and the reduction of poverty in the region. The objective of FONTAGRO is to establish itself as a sustainable financing mechanism for the development of agricultural technology and innovation in Latin America and the Caribbean and Spain, and to establish a forum for the discussion of priority topics of technological innovation. The member countries are: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Spain, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, Uruguay and Venezuela. In the last 27 years 204 regional agricultural innovation platforms have been co-financed for an amount of US $ 150.7 million, which has reached 531 institutions and 35 countries worldwide.