Marianela Rodriguez-Carres was born and raised in Panama. She comes from a family of agronomists and farmers. It was a disease caused by tiny little roundworms in her father's field that led her to study plant pathology. Plant pathology deals with diseases caused by, pest, insects or fungal pathogens. Today, Marianela leads the research and development pipeline in soybean seeds at BASF, and she is all about bringing to growers a unique solution that addresses challenges like these little roundworms, known as nematodes.
Nematodes are microscopic roundworms that feed on plant roots underground, depriving the plant of nutrients that results in reduced yield potential and production. For farmers, this can be devastating. Below, we learn more about Marianela's work and how NemasphereTM – the first Nematode resistant trait - will help protect yield in soybean production.
Nematodes sparked my interest in science. I grew up in the mountainous highlands of Panama, where we had a farm and grew potatoes along with other vegetables. When I was around eight years old, my dad was having some disease problems with his potatoes in the fields. There was a patch that he couldn't get to produce correctly, and he started to test different varieties of potatoes. This was just fascinating to me: the fact that different varieties of potatoes can have different levels of sensitivity to the disease. He would have these very sick plants, and right next to it, there would be really good-looking plants. I remember thinking, “What's happening?” I later found out that there were these tiny little worm-like organisms called nematodes that were actually feeding off the roots of these plants. These potatoes were experiencing the exact same problem BASF is solving today for soybean growers with NemasphereTM. It definitely has come full circle for me.
What role did you play in the development of NemasphereTM?
It takes more than 16 years to develop a biotech trait, this project started a long time ago and many of our scientists, researchers, regulatory and project management experts have worked on it.
My main contribution was bringing this new technology together with all the other elements also needed for a resilient seed. Essentially, the seed must be resistant to nematodes, but it also needs to have many other traits that are brought together through breeding, such as herbicide and disease tolerance, and all these elements have to come together at the right time.
What is special about NemasphereTM?
There are a number of nematode control options available today, but none of the chemicals provide season long control. Nemasphere™ technology increases yields by an average of 8 percent. At sites with heavy nematode infestation, farmers can increase their yields even further.
That's a great success, especially when we consider that nematodes are reported to cause more than $1.5 billion in damage to soybean crops in the United States alone each year. NemasphereTM is the first biotechnology solution for the worst pathogen in U.S. soybean production.
What was the key element in your success?
Using modern biotechnology, our research team has successfully engineered the soybean plant with a gene from bacteria that protects against these microscopic yield robbers. Nematodes often feed on soybean plants for years without farmers even knowing they are there. The market launch is expected in the later part of the decade as biotechnology products are subject to several important assessments prior to commercialization.
Why are soybeans so important for the Americas and what are the key challenges for their production today?
The Americas are the world's most important soy producers, led by the United States, Brazil and Argentina. Soybeans are used for animal feed and human consumption, making them the primary source of protein in the global food supply, and their demand continues to increase.
Climate fluctuations and declining efficacy of crop protection products are among the main problems in today's soybean production. Droughts or excessive rainfall can lead to various diseases and pest infestations. Therefore, selecting the right seed variety that can withstand this climate stress is extremely important for soybean farmers.
Your job title sounds complicated. What does a Global Research & Development (R&D) Lead for Soybean and a Regional R&D Director for Seeds do?
I took on this role in February 2024 and it presented me with a unique opportunity to work at the intersection of business strategy and the execution of research and development. Having both the business and research perspectives is essential to my job. We take into account the timeline as well as multiple assessments – safety, sustainability, regulation and performance – needed to bring the final product to market.
My job is to develop a strategy with our R&D team to ensure that the new seeds can be brought to market. In agriculture, it takes a very long time for innovations to reach the market. In fact, innovations developed 15 years ago will only come onto the market in the next five to ten years. That is why today we are working on solutions for the challenges of the future and continue to bring sustainable solutions to enable resilient crops that withstand pests, diseases and climate change.