Representatives of Embrapa Soja and the Chinese Academy of Science met on Monday to discuss research projects for the cultivation of the oilseed in Brazil, according to a statement.

According to Embrapa, initially, activities will be carried out focused on actions in the area of biotechnology for soybean cultivation in tropical regions. The discussions are in line with an agreement between the entities signed in a memorandum of understanding in 2020.

The projects may also be expanded to other areas of knowledge with the advancement and development of the partnership, Embrapa Soja's chief general, Alexandre Nepomuceno, said in a statement.

"This partnership will enable the exchange of knowledge and even the exchange of visiting scientists between countries to develop joint projects for soybean cultivation," he said.

"In this first meeting, the Chinese scientists came to know what we are researching and also presented the research actions that they develop to evaluate the common interests and thus the potential for complementarity and, therefore, the development of research together," Nepomuceno added.

The Chinese delegation that was at Embrapa Soja, in Londrina (PR), was formed by seven researchers from four Chinese scientific institutions and universities, specialists in soybean genetics, among them the Institute of Genetics and Biological Development, CAS and the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

"About 80% of the total exported by Brazil is destined for China, that is, approximately 60 million tons of the 150 million tons of soybeans produced in the 2022/23 harvest," Embrapa said, citing the prospect of a record harvest for this season.

Source: udop