Researcher Francisco Carlos Krzyzanowski doesn't measure time by the years he worked, but by the seeds he helped germinate. And in science, what germinates transcends generations \u2013 it is permanence. At 76 years old, recently retired after 54 years of work, 38 of them as a researcher at Embrapa Soja, he speaks with the enthusiasm of a young agronomist about to begin his career. "I feel like a kid," he says, already announcing that he will continue working as a consultant and contributing to the courses he helped create on vigor, pathology, technology, tetrazolium, storage, among others.<\/p>\n
His connection to the countryside began long before laboratories, microscopes, and scientific articles. In Itarar\u00e9 (SP), where he spent his childhood, his grandfather maintained a farm with a still and a mill powered by pairs of donkeys, a scene that marked his childhood. "The greatest joy for the children was going to the farm," he recalls.<\/p>\n
Living in close contact with the land and the rural routine sparked an early interest in Agronomy.<\/p>\n
Before that, however, Krzyzanowski experienced urban life. He worked in the health sector, in radio where he presented a spoken news program at lunchtime, and completed a technical course in Accounting. Upon finishing his scientific studies, he decided to apply to study Agronomy.<\/p>\n
He moved to Curitiba (PR) to take a preparatory course. He did an intensive review in January and faced a highly competitive entrance exam at the Federal University of Paran\u00e1 (UFPR), at a time when there were few Agronomy schools in the country. He was accepted.<\/p>\n
During his undergraduate studies, he lived in the University Student Residence and helped take care of the farm and ranch that supplied the institution. They produced vegetables such as lettuce, cabbage, and tomatoes, raised pigs and poultry, and grew bananas on the farm in Quarague\u00e7aba. The practical experience in the field complemented his classroom education.<\/p>\n
From Emater to IAC: a dive into seeds<\/b><\/p>\n
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After graduating, he passed a competitive exam for Emater, but chose to continue his studies. He moved to Piracicaba, won a CNPq scholarship, and completed his master's degree. During this period, he joined the Agronomic Institute of Campinas (IAC) as a researcher in the Seed Section.<\/p>\n
Ali worked with corn, cotton, soybeans, coffee, brachiaria grass, and forage crops. He had the privilege of working alongside researcher Oswaldo Bach, author of the first Rules for Seed Analysis in Brazil. "I learned a lot from him," he recalls.<\/p>\n
It was also during this period that he began a partnership with researcher Romeu Kiihl, deepening his studies with soybean seeds. In 1974, at the age of 25, he was invited as a consultant to structure the seed area of the newly created Iapar (Agronomic Institute of Paran\u00e1). He developed the research program, designed the laboratory and the Seed Processing Unit (UBS), which remains a reference to this day, and helped to form the technical team. Shortly afterwards, he joined the institute permanently.<\/p>\n
With the frost of 1975, which devastated the coffee plantations of Paran\u00e1, it participated in the expansion of soybean cultivation in the state at a crucial moment of productive reorganization and the creation of the Paran\u00e1 Seed Certification System.<\/p>\n
The PhD and scientific consolidation<\/b><\/p>\n
In 1977, he won a scholarship from Embrapa to pursue his doctorate at Mississippi State University in the United States, a partner of the Brazilian government in seed programs, with the aim of promoting the National Seed Plan (Planasem). Supervised by James Delouche, one of the leading seed physiologists of the time, he completed his PhD in two years and eight months, more than a year ahead of schedule.<\/p>\n
Back in Brazil, he took on research coordination roles at Iapar. But his true calling lay in applied science. In 1986, he joined the Seed Team at Embrapa Soja, where he remained until September of last year, when he retired.<\/p>\n
Lignin, mechanical damage, and a crucial discovery.<\/b><\/p>\n
Among his main scientific contributions is the relationship between lignin content and soybean seed quality. Observing that certain cultivars broke more than others during threshing and transport, he sought a genetic and physiological explanation.<\/p>\n
It has been shown that seeds with a higher lignin content in the seed coat exhibit greater resistance to mechanical damage and better performance under adverse conditions. "Today, it is known that high-quality cultivars should have above 5% of lignin in the seed coat and more than 14% in the pod, parameters that guide breeding and production programs," he explains.<\/p>\n
Krzyzanowski also deepened his studies on mechanical damage: immediate, latent, and non-apparent (microcracks) and their impacts on storage, seed treatment, and physiological quality. The identification of microcracks as a determining factor in the loss of storage potential opened up new control strategies in the reception of raw materials. "Without an intact seed coat, there is no protection. And without protection, there is no high-quality seed," he summarizes.<\/p>\n
Tropical technology and sophisticated production.<\/b><\/h4>\n
Krzyzanowski witnessed and helped build the technological leap in seed production in tropical Brazil. He participated in the evolution of drying, refrigerated storage, speed control in elevators, sieve sorting, and the adaptation of harvesters to reduce mechanical damage.<\/p>\n
Today, the researcher advocates for the intensive use of artificial intelligence in harvesting machines, with more precise adjustments in threshing operations, concave opening, and travel speed. "I'm an enthusiast of Artificial Intelligence; with it, it's possible to greatly improve the quality of the raw material right in the field," he states.<\/p>\n
Among the projects he has been involved in is Qualigr\u00e3os, implemented by Embrapa Soja and currently in partnership with Aprosoja, an organization that represents soybean producers. The goal is to systematically evaluate the quality of soybean grain and seed produced in Brazil, monitoring the entire process from the farm to the export port.<\/p>\n
A consistent diagnosis allows for the development of public policies and guides technical decisions. If a certain region presents high rates of broken grains, for example, it is possible to direct specific actions, such as training in harvester adjustment, improvements in transportation, or adjustments in storage. "Broken grain depreciates the raw material. And depreciated raw material loses value," he emphasizes.<\/p>\n
Abrates, manuals and generational training<\/b><\/h4>\n
His work extended beyond the laboratories. Krzyzanowski was president of the Brazilian Association of Seed Technology (Abrates) for ten years and financial director for eight, and currently serves on its board. He participated in the transformation of the Brazilian Seed Journal into the current Journal of Seed Science, now internationally recognized.<\/p>\n
He is one of the editors of the Seed Vigor Manual \u2013 Concepts and Tests, along with researcher Jos\u00e9 de Barros Fran\u00e7a Neto. The work is considered a worldwide reference. He also participated in the organization of courses on tetrazolium, vigor, pathology, production and storage technology, contributing to the training of hundreds of professionals.<\/p>\n
Legacy<\/b><\/h4>\n
Even after retiring from Embrapa Soja, Krzyzanowski continues to collaborate on research, mentor students, offer courses, and provide consulting services.<\/p>\n
When asked for advice for young researchers, he repeated the lesson from his father, a Polish immigrant: \u201cKnowledge doesn\u2019t take up space. Study as much as you can, because that\u2019s how you\u2019ll earn respect,\u201d he recalled.<\/p>\n
And he adds that humility is necessary. \u201cNo one owns the truth. There is always an opportunity to learn more. This contribution that I leave behind is the result of my restlessness, my curiosity, my desire to deliver good things, and not being afraid to put myself out there,\u201d he emphasizes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n