The March 5, 2026 we will be in Seville participating with a conference in the Plant Health Symposium 2026organized by the COITAND. It will be an appointment to talk, with rigor and without shortcuts, about a topic that is marking the present (and the immediate future) of professional agriculture: how to develop reliable biological solutions for plant protection and plant nutrition from microorganisms.from research to its development for real agronomic use.
If you work in plant health, technical consultancy, fruit and vegetable production or distributionyou will be particularly interested: we are not going to talk about “trends”, but rather about the process (what is being done, in what order, with what criteria) and about lessons learned when trying to turn a microorganism into a consistent tool for the field.
What the conference is about (and why it’s worth it)
Our intervention is based on a history of scientific collaboration and technological development that, in our case, began about a decade ago between Agrolac (Vicorquimia) and the Center for Innovation and Development in Plant Health (CIDSAV) of the of the University of Girona.
The CIDSAV is a research platform focused, among other areas, on the development of biopesticides based on microorganismswith ISO 9001:2015 accredited laboratories and biosafety authorization to work with plant pathogens (up to level II+), both in the laboratory and in the greenhouse.
The key point? Instead of simply evaluating “imported” technologies, a strategic decision was made: to develop our own technology from fungi and beneficial bacteria isolated from Mediterranean crops and soils in the Iberian Peninsula. in the Iberian Peninsula.
And this is where the conference becomes practical for anyone trying to separate “promising” from “applicable”: the path is not linear. There are advances, blockages, changes of course and, above all, a lot of methodology.
From sampling to prototype: the “map” of a serious biological development
One of the main points of the lecture is to explain the typical typical stages from an idea (an isolated idea with potential) to a viable solution:
Sampling and isolation, creating a collection of isolated.
Preliminary microbiological and biochemical microbiological and biochemical characterization, including ribotyping (16S/18S genes and master genes), phylogenetic analysis and precise identification.
Prospecting for antagonism and biochemical properties (e.g., hormones, siderophores) and growth promotion.
Selection of candidates and study of mechanisms of action (antifungal, antibacterial, nematicide, defense stimulation) and efficacy in proof-of-concept tests.
Greenhouse greenhouse against a wide range of pathogens, and a critical phase: genome sequencingbioinformatics analysis, preliminary toxicity/phytotoxicity assessment and molecular tools (qPCR) for monitoring.
Finally, pre-industrialization: culture medium, fermentation process, formulation, conservation, stability… (the part that decides if something can leave the laboratory and work with consistency).
This “map” matters because the market is full of simplified messages. And in biologics, oversimplification is often expensive: a strain with potential is not the same as a stable, reproducible product with an adequate shelf life..
Projects and real learning: when the objective changes (yet progress is made)
In the conference we will address two lines of work developed over a long period (almost 10 years in different stages), with a common goal: to obtain highly efficient strains and to complete useful scientific information for its use as a biofertilizer, biostimulant or biopesticide. biofertilizer, biostimulant or biopesticide, in addition to protecting the technology.in addition to protecting the technology.
1) MICOSEB: you don’t always find what you’re looking for… but you may find something better.
The MICOSEB project MICOSEB project was designed to isolate mycorrhizal fungi from the group of Sebacinales (with specific species in mind). However, despite extensive sampling and advanced molecular techniques, it was not possible to isolate them, it was not possible to isolate them.
End of the road? No. That same work allowed us to generate a remarkable collection of Trichoderma and Gliocladium remarkable collection of strains of Trichoderma and Gliocladiumstrains, with expectations as biostimulants, growth promoters and biofungicides.
2) STREP → BIOSTREP → STREPTOMAX: to bring Streptomyces to (real) product.
In the line STREP line (and its evolution in BIOSTREP y STREPTOMAX) a collection of 300 isolates of Streptomyces.
From this, a particularly relevant strain was selected: Streptomyces melanosporofaciens AGL225deposited in the Spanish Type Culture Collection (CECT) and the object of patent for use.
This strain is described with a wide range of activities (fungicidal, bactericidal, nematicidal and defense stimulating) and activity against different fungal and bacterial diseases in horticultural and fruit crops.
But, again, what is important is not only the “what”, but also the “how”: pre-industrialization, the “what”, the “how”, the “what”, the “how”, the “how”. pre-industrialization was complex because of the difficulty of obtaining, in a single fermentation, vegetative cells, spores and active metabolites. The collaboration with AINIA was decisive in establishing a procedure that met this requirement and in developing a formulation with an adequate shelf life.
The prototype showed efficacy in greenhouse proof-of-concept tests for the control of various diseases.
If you are involved in R&D, regulation, manufacturing or recommending solutions in the field, this is usually where the “knot” is: biology works, but only if you turn it into reproducible technology..
A complementary example: AGROLARIX® and biostimulation “without synthetic hormones”.
In addition to the block on microorganisms, the presentation includes a section on AGROLARIX®described as a biostimulant development regulator biostimulant of plant origin of plant origin based on nanoencapsulated dihydroquercetin (DHQ) nano-encapsulated.
The context is clear: the need for efficient and safe means of production within the European regulatory framework, promoting biostimulants capable of improving physiological results without resorting to synthetic hormones. without resorting to synthetic hormones.
DHQ, with antioxidant capacity, had historical stability and bioavailability limitations, which are addressed by a nanoencapsulated formulation with cyclodextrins. nanoencapsulated formulation with cyclodextrins to improve stability and solubility.
In terms of physiological effects described: improvement of water status, regulation of stomatal conductance/transpiration, carbohydrate mobilization and an antioxidant action associated with ROS control and pathways related to abscisic, jasmonic and salicylic acid.
And a piece of information that provides perspective: more than 50 field trials are more than 50 field trials in Spain between 2014 and 2025, with consistent agronomic results in several crops (depending on crop and application conditions).with consistent agronomic results in several crops (depending on crop and application conditions).
Why we tell it like it is in Seville: rigor, traceability and facts
At Agrolac we have a clear internal policy: don’t communicate promises; communicate facts, processes and rigor..
This links to who we are today: Agrolac is the Agricultural Division of Vicorquimia, S.A.with a long history in the sector and a strategic pivot towards proprietary biological solutions; in addition, Vicorquimia is listed as an Innovative SME (resolution 20/08/2024, valid for 3 years) and has current ISO certifications (according to corporate documentation).
When we present in Seville, the idea is for you to come away with something useful, even if you don’t use our products: a mental and technical framework to evaluate biologicals judiciously, and to understand what’s behind a solution claiming to be “microbial” or “next generation”.
See you on March 5, 2026 (and if not, we’ll talk about it on WhatsApp).
If you are going to be at the Symposium on Plant Health 2026 (Seville)please note the date: March 5, 2026. We will be happy to greet you before or after the conference, discuss real cases and listen to your campaign challenges.
And if you can’t come, it’s also a good time to open a conversation:
To recommend a pattern, give us 5 pieces of information (and we will respond with technical criteria):
Zone/province (Spain)
Cultivation
Phenological moment
Problem/objective (stress, root, fruit set, fattening-quality, recovery, etc.)
How you apply (foliar / fertigation / both)