Félix Fernández, Head of Technological Surveillance and Competitive Intelligence at Symborg, will talk about the joint interaction of different microorganisms selected to improve vine productivity and quality.
Symborg will participate as a presenter at the IX International Table Grape Symposium, the most important scientific event worldwide on this crop which will be held this year from February 16-20 in Santiago, Chile.
As an expert in the use of microorganisms, Félix Fernández, Director of Technological Surveillance and Competitive Intelligence at Symborg, will explain the results obtained in scientific trials conducted to evaluate the effects of the combined use of several microorganisms selected for use in table grapes. This is what Symborg calls its Integrated Microbial Model, which evaluates the interactions of these microorganisms with each other, and at the same time with the plants’ roots, to examine the physiological improvements achieved in the crops and their production levels.
Dr. Fernández will explain the results of scientific studies conducted by Symborg’s R&D department following the application of three Symborg products based on different microorganisms: MycoUp, TrichoSym Bio and VitaSoil in three different table grape varieties. The products cited inoculate different active substances in the plants such as the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) Glomus iranicum var tenuihypharum var nova, (discovered and patented by Symborg), the T78 strain of the beneficial fungus, Trichoderma harzianum, and a microbial complex containing 6 different types of microorganisms.
Fernández holds a degree in Microbiology and a Ph.D. in Agricultural Sciences from the University of Havana, Cuba. He has more than 30 years of experience in the field of microorganisms, especially in the use and management of biofertilizers based on mycorrhizas and other types of microorganisms. He has developed several studies on the production of microbial inoculants and their effectiveness in intensive and extensive agrosystems. He regularly participates in scientific congresses and in all classes of meetings on agricultural innovation.
The International Table Grape Symposium is the main international event of the international community of producers, researchers, advisors, and professionals from the table grape industry. It is held every four years and this year is the 9th edition of the event. It is a meeting to share and discuss the latest technical, scientific and economic developments of this crop. The Symposium hosts technical presentations on all aspects related to table grapes: environment, plant biology and physiology, production techniques and post-harvest processes, control of diseases and pests, state of the international market, etc.
Symborg’s subsidiary in Chile
Chile is one of the world’s leading producers and exporters of table grapes, which makes it an interesting venue for the 9th edition of the Symposium. (The previous two symposiums were held in Australia in 2014 and in Italy in 2017). In recent years, Chile has established itself as an agricultural authority in South America and continues to be a preferred target market for Symborg, which has had a subsidiary in this country for several years. Located in the city of Santiago, Symborg’s office in Chile serves the country’s distributors and the agricultural producers and users of their products. It also develops informative and promotional actions to publicize the biotechnology of Symborg products, participating in agricultural and scientific fairs and technical meetings.