So Chinese scientists converted the desert into arable land
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The prizes will be awarded to five different categories: the defense and regeneration of the natural habitat, the improvement of air quality, the restoration of the oceans, the promotion of a zero-waste society and the resolution of the climate problem. Boston is the city that this year will host the awards ceremony on December 2 of the Earthshot Awards 2022.
“It is an opportunity to put the global spotlight on our efforts to combat climate change and demonstrate that, together, we can meet the urgency that this moment requires with innovative solutions that protect our planet and future generations,” explained the Prince William. The Earthshot Prize was first launched in 2021 with three African organizations selected as finalists: Sanergy (from Kenya), Reeddi Capsules (from Nigeria) e Pole Pole Foundation (from the Democratic Republic of Congo).
Transforming deserts into fertile land
A prospect that could change the life especially of the poorest countries on the planet. “By converting desert sand into arable land, the solution provides secure income for the world’s driest and most remote communities.” Scientists from Chongqing Jiatong university, coordinated by Professor Zhijian Yi have developed a pulp based on vegetable cellulose which, when mixed with sandy soil such as that of a desert, leads it to have the same characteristics of arable land: a mix that helps the soil to retain water, air and nutrients.
In this way, not only have Chinese researchers managed to stop the advance of desert areas, but also convert them into agricultural land.. They called it “desert dirt” because, as crops grow and roots decompose, the dirty sand becomes self-sufficient. The mix has already yielded positive results.
The experiment, started six years ago on 2 thousand square meters of the Ulan Buh desert at 1100 meters above sea level in northern China, it had a positive outcome already at the first harvest when the quantity of food – rice, corn, sweet potatoes, radishes and rapeseed – thanks to the mix of sand treated with the special mixture of water and cellulose , were more than 50% compared to traditional fields cultivated in the same area.
The first phase of the study was based on the analysis of the characteristics of the sand and soil. In fact, it was discovered that, despite the scarcity of rain, there were important underground water reserves. The second phase, more experimental, has been going on for years with the contribution of researchers from various disciplines. The goal was to ensure that the sand had the characteristics of a cultivable land by “mixing” it with a moist, non-toxic, ecological, economical and usable vegetable cellulose as a food additive.
With a small amount (between 1% and 5% of the volume of treated sand), combined with water, it was then seen that this cellulose can produce a viscous compound that can be spread and mixed with the soil directly by agricultural machinery. . Finally, the scientists noted that, despite the erosion of wind and water, the treated sandy area, after the harvest, did not return to its original state: three months after the first harvest, ants, earthworms, millipedes and insect larvae.
The disappeared desert
Until recently the Maowusu Desert in the region of Mongolia it occupied about 40,000 sq km, more or less the area of the Netherlands. Today, that desert has disappeared from the maps and 93.24% of the territory has turned green. Professor Yi Zhijian explains: “Climate change is turning much of the land of the Earth into an inhospitable desert. When fertile land becomes barren, farmers cannot farm, which means more hunger, particularly in the poorest parts of the world. Our solution turns dry plains into productive pastures. We think we have found a solution to growing food insecurity and we are proud of this recognition by the Earthshot Prize “.
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