A final-year PhD student at Ghana’s Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi has developed a method to turn oil palm waste into a soil booster that could help farmers grow more food and cut pollution.

John Bright Nyasapoh, from the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (DABE), is testing how empty fruit bunches from oil palm processing, usually burned and released into the atmosphere, can be used to improve poor soils and increase harvests.

His research also examines how combining the waste with irrigation can help crops withstand drought. The project aims to curb greenhouse gas emissions from burning oil palm waste, restore degraded tropical soils and raise farmers’ incomes.

“Most soils in sub-Saharan Africa, including Ghana, are not healthy enough to support high yields. Using this organic material will help farmers increase production, which in the long run will improve their earnings,” Nyasapoh said.

Nyasapoh’s work was showcased at the DABE Postgraduate Poster Competition, sponsored by Dr. Kwabena Abedi Ansah to reward academic excellence. Out of 10 participants, he placed first, receiving $350 and a certificate.

The research forms part of the department’s efforts to prepare postgraduate students for the defence of their final projects while tackling real-world agricultural challenges.