Revolutionizing Cacao Cultivation: The Science Behind CACAO-CAT©
A New Era in Cacao Agriculture
As a scientist dedicated to agricultural biotechnology, I have observed for decades how our cacao producers face increasingly greater challenges. The intensification of crops has brought with it a dramatic increase in phytosanitary problems, while traditional solutions based on conventional agrochemicals generate ever more serious environmental and health concerns. It is in this context that we developed CACAO-CAT©, a solution that represents a paradigm shift in cacao crop management.
According to the quality processes of the Dr. Carlos Falconi PhD. laboratory.
What Exactly is CACAO-CAT©?
Let me explain in simple terms what we have achieved. CACAO-CAT© is what we call a "rhizospheric BioINTEGRATOR." Imagine the rhizosphere as a bustling underground city, where plant roots interact with millions of microorganisms. In intensive crops, this underground city deteriorates, loses its balance, and loses its ability to protect and nourish plants.
What we have done is create a formulation that restores this lost balance. It's not simply adding microorganisms to the soil; it's much more sophisticated. We have encapsulated living cells with special biopolymers, combining them with carefully selected microbial metabolites: siderophores, phytochelatins, hormonal precursors, vitamins, and enzymes. It's like sending not just new inhabitants to that underground city, but also all the tools, building materials, and architectural blueprints needed to rebuild a thriving community.
“CACAO-CAT© acts preventively, curatively, and eradicatively against soil pathogens.”
The Science Supporting Our Innovation
Our team at PLANTSPHERELAB has identified and characterized more than sixteen key microbial actors, each with its specific function. We have designated them with PSL codes (PSL411 through PSL427), and each one is present in precise logarithmic concentrations, optimized after years of research.
But here comes what is revolutionary: these microorganisms don't act in isolation. We have achieved synergistic cooperation among them, creating what we call "biodynamic trophobiotic maps." These maps are like metabolic routes that activate according to the crop's phenology. When the plant needs more phosphorus during flowering, our system responds. When there's water stress, protection mechanisms activate automatically.
Field-Proven Benefits
The results we're observing in cacao plantations are extraordinary. Let me share the main benefits our farmers are experiencing:
Comprehensive Phytosanitary Protection
CACAO-CAT© acts preventively, curatively, and eradicatively against soil pathogens. The mechanisms are multiple: competitive exclusion, production of natural antibiotics like iturins and pyrrolnitrins, and induction of systemic resistance in the plant. It's like giving cacao its own strengthened immune system.
Optimized Nutrition
The formulation includes primary nutrients (protein nitrogen at 3.2%, phosphorus at 1.1%, potassium at 2.7%) and essential micronutrients, but most importantly, these nutrients become gradually bioavailable according to the plant's needs. The microorganisms act as tiny factories that process and deliver nutrients at just the right moment.
Real Environmental Sustainability
This is perhaps the aspect that makes me most proud. CACAO-CAT© not only avoids the contamination associated with conventional agrochemicals but actively remediates degraded soils. The biochemical colloids and polymers (280 g/L in our formulation) improve soil structure, increase water retention, and sequester carbon.
CACAO-CAT© represents more than a product; it's a philosophy of agricultural production.
A Call for Transformation
As a scientist, but above all as an Ecuadorian committed to the sustainable development of our agriculture, I invite cacao producers to consider this alternative. It's not simply switching one product for another; it's adopting a new way of understanding and managing our crops.
Ecuadorian cacao has a worldwide reputation for its exceptional quality. With CACAO-CAT©, we can maintain that excellence while building a truly sustainable production system that protects the health of our farmers, preserves our soils for future generations, and maintains the competitiveness of our cacao in the most demanding international markets.
For more technical information and training on CACAO-CAT© use the following form.