THE Research Council of Zimbabwe (RCZ) is funding National University of Science and Technology (Nust) bio fertiliser manufacturing plant project in Bulawayo through assistance from the government, Southern Eye can report.
This emerged during a tour of the bio plant project by RCZ represented by Timothy Marango on Wednesday this week.
The bio fertiliser plant manufacturing project is an initiative seeking to promote the use of environmentally-friendly fertilisers in Zimbabwe.
Bio fertiliser projects principal investigator Thembekile Ncube said the project was aimed at producing bio fertiliser from a consortium of micro-organisms.
“The whole idea is to release nutrients from the soil using the natural system as micro-organisms are natural. The reason why we use organisms is that there are some that are able to mitigate some effects of drought stress,” she said.
Ncube said during the first phase of production of the bio fertiliser, they worked with Malawi’s Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
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“We were able to produce joint bio fertiliser and for us, we tested with butternut while for them with maize and it yielded positive results, which has led to this second phase,” Ncube said.
She said they were still at the pilot stage of the product, which is expected to last up to July 2025.
“Bio fertiliser has an advantage as it requires less money since it focuses on micro-organisms that are available and environmentally friendly,” Ncube said.
Nust innovation business pro-vice-chancellor William Ngorowodo said they had a group which was working on a bio fertiliser project for two years and it was ready for commercialisation.
“The project for bio fertiliser started during 2022 as the group was still researching and at the moment, we are ready to allocate them space at Professor Makhurane Innovation Hub as the bio fertiliser plant is at a stage where it is ready for commercialising,” he said.
Ngorowodo said the project was beneficial to Nust and the community at large as students interact with professors during research and gain a lot of knowledge.
“The project will help in addressing the issue of food security within the nation as the fertiliser is environmentally friendly and allows growth of our crops,” he said.
Marango said the research council funded the bio fertiliser project in the first phase to the tune of US$30 000 and US$50 000 for the second phase.
“We are funded by the government and our role is to mobilise the resources for the research process throughout the country in order to achieve the growth of the nation,” he said.
“We are funding research at both universities and other institutions because we are the parent council for all other councils in the country.”