Last September 2023, a virtual meeting was held as one of the work sessions between the team of researchers from Latin America and Spain. From the Latin American team, the co-executing researchers of the project María Luisa Izaguirre from the Technical University of Manabi, Adalgisa Scotti from LBA of the National Technical University of the Regional Faculty of San Rafael, and Alicia Godeas from IBBEA of the University of Buenos Aires connected. On the other hand, from the Spanish team, the researcher Inmaculada García Romera from the Zaidín Experimental Station EEZ-CSIC participated. Also present were Vanesa Silvani, Roxana Colombo, and Sofía Utge Perri from IBBEA.
During this meeting, progress in the research was shared, and the obtained results and dissemination strategies were discussed. The results obtained show crucial findings that support the effectiveness and potential of the proposed bioprocess to reduce the solubility of cadmium in the rhizosphere of cocoa plants and its subsequent accumulation in their almonds. Scenarios and steps to follow were outlined to fulfill the next phases of the project, according to the planned schedule.
With the obtained databases covering 445 beneficiaries at level 1 and 25 at level 2, and educational material in the form of comics with stories and typical expressions of the region, the approach for training the beneficiary cocoa farmers was proposed. Additionally, discussions were held on how to reproduce the studied microorganisms (symbiotic and native saprophytic fungi) with cadmium tolerance, in bioreactors specially designed to maintain controlled growth conditions. This dual approach suggests a comprehensive focus not only on scientific results but also on collaboration with local communities and educational outreach.
Through these meetings, teamwork is strengthened, and new ways of conducting activities are discovered in pursuit of the best results
