. >>>> the farme o of rio urupÍi are still l the exceptioion ag the 2,2,500 guguaraÁ farmersrs h municipapalnventional farming methods. in manaus, biologists are researching alternatives to the use of chemical pesticides. cuttings are prone to fungal infection. they plan to use a bacteria to fight that problem. >> we would like to improve biological controls so that fewer agricultural toxins are deployed. they have huge consequences for the amazon basin's ecosystem. >> the aim of the research is to produce a biopesticide. cristo de oliveira is also interested in their experiments, even though his original rio urupadÍ plant strain is more pest resistant than these guaranÁ cuttings. but there is a downside. >> guaranÁ plants that grow from these cuttings annually produce 400 kilos per hectare. with our woodland guaranÁ, the yield is only around 250, 300 kilos. our organic product costs more as a result of the lower yields. >> the green farmers of rio urupadÍ are planning to set up a cooperative so they cacan expot their products. and they're battling to have amazon guaranÁ recognized as a prot