Modification of technology for small-scale production of the DIMARGON® Biofertilizer
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Abstract
The modification of the technology for obtaining the DIMARGON® biofertilizer is essential to reduce production costs, optimize the use of inputs, and ensure the sustainability of its application on a large scale. Adjusting the culture medium is particularly important to maintain the microorganism’s growth-promoting properties while decreasing reliance on expensive salts and microelements. This approach seeks to balance efficiency, economic viability, and environmental sustainability in biofertilizer production. The study was conducted at the Institute of Fundamental Research on Tropical Agriculture “Alejandro de Humboldt” with the objective of improving the culture medium formulation used in DIMARGON® technology. A theoretical framework on biofertilizer production was established, and four medium variants were experimentally validated: DIMARGON-M in its original formulation, DIMARGON-M without microelements, DIMARGON-M supplemented with final molasses (34 g/L) as a carbon source, and DIMARGON-M with molasses but without microelements. Submerged fermentation was carried out in an orbital shaker at 150 rpm, at 28 °C, for 48 hours. The evaluation criteria included microbial growth, presence of plant growth–promoting mechanisms, and effects on tomato seed germination. Results demonstrated that DIMARGON-M with molasses and without microelements maintained similar microbial stimulation compared to the original medium, preserved the microorganism’s beneficial properties, and increased tomato hypocotyl length by 34%. Furthermore, this variant reduced production costs by 0.16 CUP per liter and required half the amount of salts. These findings highlight the relevance of this modification as a significant contribution to the development of efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable biofertilizer technology suitable for industrial-scale application.
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