BP and Bunge’s Brazilian sugar and ethanol joint venture said it will stop using mineral fertilizer by 2025 and replace it with biological alternatives generated from bacteria and organic material, according to a Bloomberg report. The company said it has already cut the use of nitrogen in harvested sugar cane areas known as “soqueira” by 50%. It said the planted area for current crop is already free of nitrogen-based fertilizers. The area accounts for 50,000 hectares.
The company said it has adopted a solution developed by Brazil’s agricultural research agency, Embrapa, that uses a bacteria to fixate nitrogen and increase crop yields.
Efforts also include usage of residuals from sugar cane processing, which should be done in 96% of fields by 2025. A byproduct of the industry known as vinasse is rich in potassium.
Early results point to an increase in yields of around 3-10 tons per hectare, BP Bunge Agriculture Director Rogério Bremm said in a note. The project also increases longevity of crops and reduces the amount of potassium chloride purchased in the market by about 80%.