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Young man from Minas Gerais creates agricultural defensive with water, salt, and electricity, wins the Young Scientists Award 2025 and draws attention from Brazilian science.
In February 2025, a public school student from Minas Gerais gained national attention by winning the High School category of the Young Scientists Award with a project that seeks to reduce dependence on industrial pesticides using only water, salt, and electricity. The inventor is Bernardo Souza Cordeiro, then 19 years old, who graduated in Electronics from the Technical College of the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Coltec-UFMG.
The device developed by Bernardo produces hypochlorous acid through an electrochemical process, creating an agroecological agricultural defensive with antimicrobial properties without using traditional industrial chemical products. According to the student, the proposal was designed especially for small rural producers who often cannot access more expensive agricultural technologies. Details of the award were released by Agência Brasil.
Project uses water, salt, and electricity to generate antimicrobial compound
The device’s operation is based on a relatively well-known principle of electrochemistry. By applying electric current to a simple solution of water and salt, the system can produce hypochlorous acid, a substance with antimicrobial properties used in various sanitary and agricultural applications.
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According to Bernardo Souza Cordeiro, the idea arose from the search for a low-cost alternative that could reduce dependence on conventional agricultural defensives. The project’s differential lies precisely in the simplicity of the inputs used, dispensing with complex industrial formulations and utilizing accessible materials for small producers.
Hypochlorous acid has been studied in agricultural and sanitary applications
Hypochlorous acid is not a new compound in science, but it has gained increasing interest in recent years due to its antimicrobial potential. The substance can act against bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms in certain controlled applications.
In addition to agriculture, the compound has also been studied and used in the sanitization of surfaces, water, and hospital environments. In the case of the award-winning project, the goal was to adapt the production of the compound for small-scale agroecological use. This allowed a relatively known chemical process to be transformed into a portable solution aimed at family farming.
Project originated within a public technical course at UFMG
Bernardo developed the project while studying at Coltec-UFMG, a technical institution linked to the Federal University of Minas Gerais. According to Agência Brasil, the work was supervised by Professor Adriano Borges and emerged from an agroecological project involving IoT, an acronym for “internet of things”.
The initial proposal sought technological alternatives that could assist small farmers without increasing operational costs. The result was a system that transforms electricity, water, and salt into an antimicrobial agent potentially applicable in the field.
Small rural producers were the main target of the invention
During interviews after the award, Bernardo explained that the device’s main focus was to serve small rural producers. According to him, many family farmers face financial difficulties in accessing more sophisticated agricultural technologies or higher-cost products.
The student emphasized that the intention was to create an accessible and relatively simple solution to operate. This transformed the project into a combination of electronics, chemistry, and social impact, a factor that helped highlight the work within the scientific award.
Young Scientists Award is one of the country’s main scientific awards
The project won the “High School Student” category of the 30th edition of the Young Scientists Award. The initiative is organized by the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development in partnership with the Roberto Marinho Foundation.
The award seeks to encourage scientific production among young Brazilians and recognize projects with social, technological, and environmental impact. According to Agência Brasil, the winners received scholarships, computers, and cash prizes ranging from R$ 12,000 to R$ 40,000.
Young man approved in Control and Automation Engineering at UFMG
In addition to the scientific award, Bernardo also gained admission to the Control and Automation Engineering course at UFMG through ENEM. In an interview reproduced by Agência Brasil, he stated that he was the first in his family to enter a federal university.
The student reported that his parents were proud of his academic journey, despite not having a direct connection to the technological field. The story gained repercussion precisely because of the combination of humble origins, public school education, and scientific innovation applied to agriculture.
Electrochemical process transforms invisible chemistry into agricultural technology
The device’s operation directly depends on electrochemical reactions. When electric current passes through the water and salt solution, oxidizing compounds, including hypochlorous acid, are formed.
This type of reaction is already used in different industrial and laboratory systems, but the project sought to adapt the concept for a more accessible and portable application. In practice, the student transformed an invisible chemical principle into equipment aimed at the reality of the Brazilian countryside.
Agriculture seeks more sustainable and lower-impact alternatives
The growth of projects related to alternative pesticides accompanies a broader trend in the agricultural sector. Researchers, startups, and producers are seeking methods that reduce environmental impact, chemical dependence, and operational costs.
However, experts emphasize that technologies of this type need to undergo technical validations, regulations, and specific tests before widespread adoption in the agricultural market.
This means that the award-winning project should be seen as a promising experimental innovation, and not as an immediate replacement for all existing agricultural pesticides.
Project shows growing strength of science produced in public schools
The repercussion of Bernardo’s work also drew attention for another reason: the advancement of applied research in public technical high school institutions. In recent years, Brazilian students have been gaining ground in scientific olympiads, technology fairs, and national awards with projects focused on real problems.
The case of the electrochemical pesticide fits precisely this profile of practical science connected to the social and economic reality of the country. The combination of electronics, agroecology, and low cost transformed the project into one of the strongest examples of the 2025 edition of the award.
Do you believe that agricultural solutions created by students and small inventors can gain real traction in the Brazilian countryside, or will technologies developed by large industries continue to dominate almost the entire sector? Leave your opinion in the comments.
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