INTERNSHIP REPORT: AGRONOMIC VALIDATION OF FOLIAR APPLICATION OF BION+Complex® IN SOYBEAN CROPS DURING TECHNICAL MARKET DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES

Abstract

The use of biostimulants derived from pyroligneous extract has emerged as a sustainable alternative to enhance agricultural productivity without increasing dependence on synthetic chemical inputs. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of foliar application of the commercial bioactivator BION+Complex® (Biocarbo®), obtained from concentrated pyroligneous extract derived from controlled carbonization of eucalyptus biomass, on vegetative traits, yield components, and productivity of soybean (Glycine max) under commercial cultivation conditions. The study was conducted during the 2025/2026 growing season across 16 commercial fields located in municipalities of the Brazilian Cerrado in the state of Goiás, totaling 900 monitored hectares, using a paired design (treatment versus control) with foliar applications at a dose of 1.0 L ha⁻¹ at growth stages V3–V4, R1–R2, and R3–R5. Data were subjected to correlation analysis, principal component analysis, hierarchical clustering, paired tests, stepwise multiple regression, and linear mixed models. BION+Complex® promoted an average increase of 4.69 sc ha⁻¹ in grain yield (paired t-test, p < 0.0001; Cohen's d = 1.61), an effect confirmed even after controlling for genotypic variability through a mixed model (p = 0.003). An average increase of 11.58 pods per plant was also observed, although this effect proved dependent on genotypic and environmental context. Thousand-grain weight showed no statistically significant response. It is concluded that BION+Complex® represents a promising technological tool for soybean production in the Goiás Cerrado, whose technical recommendation should take into account environmental conditions and cultivar genotypic profile as modulators of response magnitude.