AgraME News
Biofertilizer Product from Egyptian University Wins Grant from Regenerative Agriculture Venture
A research team at Heliopolis University, Egypt, has been awarded a financial grant of USD 10,000, along with other supporting benefits, as part of Goumbook’s Regenerative Agriculture Venture Programme.
A member of the team and an assistant lecturer at the university, Doaa Ibrahim told New AG International: “Cyanoboost is a biofertilizer product that enhances the whole plant growth performance, improves the extracted essential oils, and increases the soil microbial diversity, vitality, and fertility of the rhizospheric microbiome in medicinal plants.
Cyanoboost has the ability to capture carbon dioxide 50 times greater than plants, making it an ideal solution for regenerative agriculture.”
The Regenerative Agriculture Venture Programme supports scientific research and entrepreneurship, in the domain of regenerative agriculture solutions in the Middle East, North Africa, and Turkey (MENAT) region.
The programme is run by Goumbook, which describes itself as a social enterprise, and is based in UAE. Founded in 2009, Goumbook drives sustainability initiatives across the MENAT region. The Regenerative Agriculture Venture Programme is supported by HSBC bank and Saudi Awwal Bank.
Samantha Kayruz, Goumbook’s Strategy & Sustainability Impact Director, said: “The MENAT Regenerative Agriculture Venture Programme embodies the spirit of collaboration and innovation that is essential for addressing the pressing agricultural, food security and climate change challenges of our time, through research and science.”
Other recipients of grants were in the organic fertilizers category: The Waste Lab, with its project “From Food Waste Rescue to Compost Production to Soil Building.”
Lara Hussein, from The Waste Lab based in Dubai, summarised their product to New AG International: “The Waste Lab’s solution addresses the UAE’s significant food waste problem by converting organic waste into high-quality compost through nature-based applications. This approach not only diverts food waste from landfills but also enriches soil health, enhancing the principles of regenerative agriculture. By producing compost tailored to specific crop requirements, The Waste Lab supports local farms in transitioning to regenerative farming practices. Furthermore, community engagement, transparency, and data-driven methods to ensure measurable environmental benefits and the promotion of food security.”
The third recipient, in the category of minimizing chemical footprint, was for “Smart Encapsulation of Plant Growth Factor for Elevated Germination in Wheat Seeds” by Katya Aguilar Perez and her team at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), KSA.
Aguilar Perez provided a summary of the encapsulation technology: “MePhSIN, a groundbreaking nano-platform encapsulates plant growth regulators. Our solution revolutionizes agriculture through seed nano-priming, delivering nutrients and bioactives directly to seeds before planting, which enhances their resilience in arid climates. This method supports regenerative agriculture by eliminating the need for external agrochemicals, unlocking a new era of enhanced crop resilience, potentially doubling wheat production by 2050, and overcoming challenges in global food security.”
New AG International is launching a Regenerative Agriculture conference at its Agra ME show in Dubai in October 2024.