Developing improved inoculants through genome editing of diazotrophic bacteria for cereals: Is this the right time for Brazil?

Microbial inoculants for grasses containing Azospirillum brasilense have been commercially available in Brazil for 15 years, achieving great success and being applied in more than one-third of the Brazilian maize fields. However, these inoculant technologies could be improved by applying modern genomic editing tools, leading to the development of remodelled strains with increased diazotrophic ability. The most successful example of this kind of inoculant development is provided by the Pivot Bio company in the United States, which has engineered diazotrophic Enterobacteriaceae used in products currently widespread throughout the US market. Pivot Bio had applied to commercialize inoculants with their remodeled strains in Brazil, with a positive evaluation from the National Technical Commission on Biosafety (CTNBio), indicating their legal feasibility. Brazilian researchers working in this field have several advantages that will enable them to move into the new generation of inoculants: we have tremendous microbial biodiversity, technically skilled teams, and a partially favorable regulatory framework. We should move towards these enhanced inoculants to capitalize on our advantages, develop a new, genuine Brazilian technology, and achieve yield increases, cost reductions, and improved sustainability in Brazilian agricultural fields.