On 25 September 2022, ACI Fertilizer and Patuakhali Science and Technology University (PSTU) signed an MoU for Biochar technology development in Bangladesh. Biochar as a soil amendment enhances plant growth and reduces the need for water and fertilizer. This is because more moisture and nutrients remain in the soil and don't leach into the groundwater. When added to soil, biochar improves plant growth and raises crop yields, increasing food production and sustainability in areas with depleted soils, limited organic resources, insufficient water, and access to agrochemical fertilizers. The addition of Biochar retains a higher N concentration in the soil, ensuring easy absorbance of the nutrient by the plant. In fact, a 2020 study found that biochar fertilizers improve plant nitrogen absorption by 12% more than urea. The amendment of biochar significantly increases the pH of acidic soils (yellow-brown soil and fluvo-aquic soil) by 0.5–1. The benefits of Biochar are: improvement of soil fertility, increase in crop yields, better water retention, and drainage, reduction of soil acidity, adsorption of soil pollutants, enhancement in plant disease resistance, and catching and storing of carbon. Under this MoU, PSTU will share the commercial Biochar production technology with ACI Fertilizer. ACI will allow PSTU authority to access their research & development lab, production site and arrange result demonstration in the farmer’s field. PSTU will also hand over the Biochar enriched Fertilizer to ACI. Then it will be distributed by ACI for marketing and farmer’s development.
The agreement was signed by Mr. Bashir Ahmed, Business Director of ACI Fertilizer, and Dr. Mohammad Kamrul Hasan, Register of PSTU. Vice Chancellor of PSTU Dr. Swadesh Chandra Samonto, Professor Abul Kashem Chowdhury of Training & Research, Dr. Fazlul Haque, Din of Post-Graduation Division, and the inventor of this technology Dr. Shamim Mia were present at this MoU signing ceremony. ACI Fertilizer always encouraged the addition of new technology in its business by collaborating with different research organizations and universities.
