By Kenneth Marcos In two countries half a world apart, two women scientists spent decades studying the
same invisible ally beneath the soil: Azospirillum, a nitrogen-fixing bacterium capable of
helping plants grow with far less chemical fertilizer.
In Brazil, the work of Mariangela Hungria helped reshape global agriculture. In the
Philippines, the parallel breakthrough of Mercedes Umali-Garcia remains one of the
country’s quiet scientific revolutions—proven, local, and still underused.
Hungria, a soil microbiologist at Brazil’s national agricultural research agency Embrapa,
devoted more than 40 years to understanding how beneficial bacteria could replace
synthetic nitrogen fertilizers. Her research demonstrated that Azospirillum brasilense,
when paired with crops such as soybeans and corn, could naturally supply nitrogen,
improve root systems, and raise yields.
Brazil embraced the science at scale. Today, microbial inoculants developed from
Hungria’s work are used across tens of millions of hectares, helping farmers slash
fertilizer costs, reduce carbon emissions, and save an estimated $25 billion annually. In
2025, her contribution earned her the World Food Prize, often described as agriculture’s
Nobel.
Across the Pacific, Umali-Garcia was asking similar questions—long before biofertilizers
became fashionable.
In 1985, at the University of the Philippines Los Baños, Umali-Garcia began studying
why talahib grass thrived in nutrient-poor lahar soils where conventional crops
struggled. From the roots of this hardy plant, she isolated Azospirillum, a bacterium
capable of fixing atmospheric nitrogen and delivering it directly to plant roots.
The result was Bio N, a microbial-based fertilizer for rice, corn, and vegetables. Field
trials showed that it could replace 30 to 50 percent of chemical nitrogen inputs, cut costs
dramatically, and restore soil health. At roughly P600 per kilo, Bio N can replace two
bags of urea worth several times more.
More than four decades later, Bio N is still being used by Filipino farmers—albeit on a
limited scale. In 2025, Umali-Garcia was recognized with the Outstanding Technology
Commercialization Award for her life’s work.
The contrast between the two countries lies not in science, but in policy.
Brazil institutionalized biological fertilizers as national strategy. The Philippines, despite
possessing its own homegrown technology, continues to rely heavily on imported
urea—leaving farmers vulnerable to global price shocks, supply disruptions, and
geopolitical conflict.
Yet the science tells a shared story: sustainable agriculture does not always require new
discoveries, only the courage to trust what already works.
Two women. One bacterium. Vastly different outcomes—and a narrowing window for
the Philippines to catch up.