Angolan researcher Pascoal Chiambo is one of the main highlights of the Angolan delegation at Expo-Qatar with the presentation of an innovative technology in the sustainable agriculture sector.
At the world fair that runs from October 2, 2023 until March 28, 2024, the specialist presented Biochar technology, which improves soil fertility, increasing water efficiency and reducing the excessive use of chemical fertilizers in agriculture in several provinces of the country, with emphasis on the provinces of Huambo, Bié and Cuanza-Sul.
According to the researcher and university professor, Biochar technology for manufacturing the product with the same name, also known as biochar, uses biomass as its raw material, which allows the reuse of agricultural, animal and industrial waste, to correct and improve the soil fertility.
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The Biochar product is produced with corn cobs (corn cob) and bean straw, explains the researcher, concerned about the lack of sustainable agronomic practice, for the good of nature and farmers.
"We will also use sawdust. You can also use fragmented tree branches and then place this material in the chambers. The burning process will be in pyrolysis, which starts from top to bottom”, explained Pascoal Chiambo, highlighting that the objective is to take advantage of the carbon content that will then be incorporated into the soil.
With the implementation of Biochar, reinforced the researcher, the soil structure, physical, chemical and biological properties are improved and allows sustainable agricultural production to be carried out, aligned with the Millennium Development Goals.
Biochar is not a chemical fertilizer. It is just a soil activator, a hydrophilic component, which provides water to plants, especially in times of scarcity, explains the researcher.
Pascoal Chiambo is proud to have implemented the project at the country's Agricultural Research Institute, with an experience field, located in the province of Huambo.
