Innovation developed by researchers in Mato Grosso converts plant ash into sustainable fertilizer and could revolutionize agribusiness by combining circular economy, waste reduction, and intelligent use of agricultural residues.

Written by Hilton Libório

Published on 09/06/2026 at 15:33

Updated on 09/06/2026 at 15:34

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Researchers from Mato Grosso transform plant ash into sustainable fertilizer, strengthening the circular economy and innovating agribusiness.

A waste that for years represented an environmental challenge for agribusiness companies in Mato Grosso is gaining a new utility. With support from the Foundation for Research Support of the State of Mato Grosso (Fapemat), Researchers from Mato Grosso linked to the Federal University of Rondonópolis (UFR) are developing a sustainable fertilizer produced from plant ash, a material mainly generated by biomass burning.

According to a publication by Fapemat on June 7, the initiative seeks to transform an environmental liability into an agricultural input with added value. In addition to contributing to waste reduction, the project strengthens the circular economy and can have positive impacts on agribusiness, especially by reducing dependence on conventional fertilizers and expanding the use of resources available in the region itself.

Researchers from Mato Grosso bet on transforming waste into agricultural inputs

The work is coordinated by Professor Dr. Edna Maria Bonfim and brings together two research projects funded by the Government of Mato Grosso, through Fapemat, in partnership with the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq).

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How plant ash can generate gains for agribusiness

The plant ash used in the research results from biomass burning, mainly wood used in industrial and agribusiness processes. Instead of being discarded, this material becomes part of a new production chain.

According to the studies developed by the Researchers from Mato Grosso, this waste has the potential to provide important nutrients to plants and improve the chemical characteristics of the soil.

For agribusiness, this represents an opportunity to increase productive efficiency using local resources, reducing waste, and adding value to materials that previously had little economic utility.

Among the benefits observed by researchers are:

Better utilization of agro-industrial waste;
Gradual supply of nutrients to plants;
Possible reduction in dependency on mineral fertilizers;
Greater efficiency in fertilization;
Strengthening of sustainable practices in the field.

Circular economy drives sustainable solutions in the field

The project is a practical example of the application of the circular economy in agriculture. In this model, materials that would be discarded return to the production cycle, generating new products and reducing environmental impacts.

By transforming plant ash into sustainable fertilizer, the researchers create an alternative capable of combining sustainability and productivity. The initiative also follows a global trend of valuing the reuse of industrial and agro-industrial waste.

This model reduces the need for disposal and contributes to a smarter use of available resources, benefiting the entire agribusiness chain.

More than a decade of studies with sustainable fertilizer and plant ash

The line of research is not recent. The work began in 2009 within the Group of Practices in Water and Soil (GPAS), which focuses on studies aimed at the recovery of degraded areas and the improvement of soil quality.

Over these more than 16 years of research, the Researchers from Mato Grosso have identified several promising applications for plant ash in agriculture.

The results obtained have already indicated benefits in crops such as:

Beans;
Corn;
Arugula;
Melon;
Ornamental flowers.

In addition to nutrient supply, the studies also demonstrated potential to improve soil chemical properties and assist in the management of nematodes, organisms that can compromise crop development.

Technology can reduce costs and increase fertilization efficiency

One of the differentiators of the sustainable fertilizer developed by the researchers is its ability to release nutrients gradually.

In practice, this allows plants to better utilize the elements available in the soil over time. As a result, there is potential to increase fertilization efficiency and reduce common losses in conventional systems.

The researchers also observed that the use of plant ash can help reduce the need for traditional mineral fertilizers, a factor that can represent economic gains for farmers under certain cultivation conditions.

In addition to productive benefits, the initiative reinforces the importance of technological innovation as a tool to make the agribusiness more competitive and sustainable.

Environmental benefits go beyond waste reduction

The reuse of plant ash not only generates economic advantages. The project also offers a more environmentally responsible alternative for a waste produced on a large scale by agro-industrial activities.

When it becomes part of the production of a sustainable fertilizer, this material ceases to represent just an environmental liability and transforms into a resource with economic value.

Among the positive impacts highlighted by the studies are:

Reduction of resource waste;
Less need for waste disposal;
Intelligent use of available materials;
Encouragement of agricultural innovation;
Strengthening of the circular economy.

These factors help build more efficient production systems aligned with current sustainability demands.

Scientific recognition strengthens Mato Grosso as a reference in innovation

The results achieved by the Researchers of Mato Grosso have already been receiving attention from the scientific community. According to the project coordination, the research has generated publications in high-impact scientific journals, increasing the visibility of the work carried out in the state.

The recognition reinforces Mato Grosso’s ability to develop innovative solutions focused on waste reuse and the production of sustainable fertilizer.

In addition to benefiting the agribusiness, the initiative demonstrates how investments in science and technology can generate practical solutions for environmental and productive challenges.

A promising path for the agriculture of the future

The research conducted by UFR shows how scientific knowledge, innovation, and sustainability can walk together. By transforming plant ash into sustainable fertilizer, the researchers present an alternative capable of reducing waste, creating economic value, and strengthening the circular economy.

With a trajectory that began in 2009 and results accumulated over more than a decade, the project demonstrates that agro-industrial waste can become allies of agricultural productivity. For the agribusiness, initiatives like this point to a future where efficiency, innovation, and environmental responsibility will be increasingly connected.

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Innovation developed by researchers in Mato Grosso converts plant ash into sustainable fertilizer and could revolutionize agribusiness by combining circular economy, waste reduction, and intelligent use of agricultural residues.

Researchers from Mato Grosso transform plant ash into sustainable fertilizer, strengthening the circular economy and innovating agribusiness.

Researchers from Mato Grosso bet on transforming waste into agricultural inputs

How plant ash can generate gains for agribusiness

Circular economy drives sustainable solutions in the field

More than a decade of studies with sustainable fertilizer and plant ash

Technology can reduce costs and increase fertilization efficiency

Environmental benefits go beyond waste reduction

Scientific recognition strengthens Mato Grosso as a reference in innovation

A promising path for the agriculture of the future

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Innovation developed by researchers in Mato Grosso converts plant ash into sustainable fertilizer and could revolutionize agribusiness by combining circular economy, waste reduction, and intelligent use of agricultural residues.

Researchers from Mato Grosso transform plant ash into sustainable fertilizer, strengthening the circular economy and innovating agribusiness.

Researchers from Mato Grosso bet on transforming waste into agricultural inputs

How plant ash can generate gains for agribusiness

Circular economy drives sustainable solutions in the field

More than a decade of studies with sustainable fertilizer and plant ash

Technology can reduce costs and increase fertilization efficiency

Environmental benefits go beyond waste reduction

Scientific recognition strengthens Mato Grosso as a reference in innovation

A promising path for the agriculture of the future

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A giant brown band visible from space, approximately 8,850 kilometers long, connected Africa to America in the Atlantic Ocean, and satellites revealed that it is neither land nor pollution, but the largest accumulation of seaweed in the world, which broke records in 2025.

Engineers want to carve through Africa with a giant canal to bring water from the world’s second-largest river to a dying lake on the edge of the Sahara Desert that has already lost 90% of its water.

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