Agricultural Microbiology
Area Description
The Microbiology Laboratory was founded in 1981 and is dedicated to harnessing microbial activities in agriculture to reduce environmental contamination risks and enable better resource utilization.
Soil microorganisms play a crucial functional role in agriculture as they are responsible for processes related to nutrient cycling and plant nutrition and health.
In the laboratory, strains have been isolated, evaluated, and selected for use as biofertilizers (Rhizobium, Azospirillum, Azotobacter, etc.), decomposers of organic matter (Trichoderma, Bacillus, Lactobacillus), inoculants for silage (Lactobacillus), and biological control agents (Metarrhizium, Beauveria, Paecelomyces, Verticilium, Heterorhabditis, Steinernema, etc.). The development of these products contributes to cost-effective and environmentally friendly agriculture.
The LMA has been involved in the following research areas:
- Utilization of microorganisms in crop fertility.
- Utilization of microorganisms in disease and pest control.
- Determination of the quality and safety of organic fertilizers.
- Disease suppression using organic fertilizers.
- Study of microbial populations in different agricultural systems.
Contact
Dra. Lidieth Uribe Lorío
Coordinator
lidieth.uribe@ucr.ac.cr
