Agricultural Unit

Located in the municipality of Barra do Corda, Maranhão State, Fazenda Sourcetech is a productive structure of 465 hectare with privileged geomorphology, fertile lands, abundant water and adequate insolation, in which Sourcetech cultivates the Jaborandi (Pilocarpus microphyllus), according to the specifications of the Good Agricultural and Collection Practices (GACP).

Constant investments in modern agricultural techniques of improvement, management and domestication of cultivars guarantee high productivity. The cultivated varieties of the Jaborandi undergo a rigorous control of genetic quality in order to guarantee homogeneity in the production of Pilocarpine.

With an enviable productivity, with average contents ranging from 0.70% to 1.10% of Pilocarpine, the domestication of Jaborandi, originated in the North and Northeast of Brazil, has guaranteed to the company a continuous, homogeneous and controlled supply of the leaves of Jaborandi for the extraction of the API Pilocarpine.

The production area is equipped with a modern central pivot irrigation system, monitored by an automated system, powered by sensors implanted in the fields. These sensors transfer daily information on precipitation, wind speed, soil moisture, air humidity and solar radiation to a sophisticated program that automatically decides the amount of water needed for irrigation. Thus, the irrigation management is based on technical and scientific principles that guarantee the rational use of natural resources.

As in the Fazenda Sourcetech no pesticides are allowed, the control of pests and diseases is done with the use of biological agents. The emus (Rhea americana), a native bird of the region, are responsible for balancing the proliferation of insects and even small reptiles - which ensures worker safety. In the fields of Jaborandi, a type of bacterium (Pasteuria penetrans), powerful biological agent, maintains the integrity of the roots, through millions of spores.

Thus, after cleaning any weeds or weird elements in the midst of the plantation, the production is harvested, which in the case of Jaborandi follows cycles of 45 to 70 days. Fully mechanized, the harvest is performed by machines developed and adapted to the preservation of the plants, which allows numerous cuts, without the need of replanting.

After harvesting, the green leaves are transported from the field to the drying site. Then the already dried leaves are packed and sent to the Industrial Unit in Pindamonhangaba.

The entire process of harvesting and drying the leaves undergoes a strict quality control, in order to guarantee high quality leaves to the alkaloid extraction plant.