From Local Demonstration Plots to the Global Stage: Biochar Knowledge Exchange through Field Day and AGRITECHNICA Asia & HortEx 2026

What began as a practical response to agricultural residue management in southern Thailand has evolved into a vibrant platform for farmer-led innovation, international exchange, and climate-smart agriculture. Through our work at the German-Thai Agricultural Cooperation (GETHAC) Project, “Biochar” has become a representation of collaboration, circular economy, and knowledge sharing from local communities to the global agricultural stage.

In Satun province, farmers have demonstrated how agricultural residues that were once considered waste can be transformed into valuable resources. Their experiences culminated on a “Satun Field Day” in May 2026, where farmers, policymakers, researchers, and development partners gathered to exchange practical knowledge and explore scalable solutions for residue management and soil improvement.

Weeks later, these local experiences were elevated onto an international platform at the “Biochar Journey” booth during AGRITECHNICA Asia & HortEx 2026 in Bangkok. Farmers engaged directly with international visitors in a “Farmer to Farmer” learning approach. These activities demonstrated how locally rooted agricultural innovation can contribute to regional and global conversations on climate-smart and circular agriculture.

Turning Agricultural Residues into Opportunities

In southern Thailand, oil palm production generates substantial amounts of biomass residues, including palm fronds and woody materials. At the same time, turmeric cultivation, especially for medicinal purposes, requires quality planting materials and healthy soils. Oil palm and turmeric farmers in Satun province, together with Department of Agricultural Extension (DOAE) and GETHAC Project began exploring whether these two systems could complement one another through circular resource use.

Rather than viewing agricultural residues as waste, farmers experimented with converting available biomass into biochar through low-cost and accessible production methods. They tested how biochar made from oil palm residues and locally available wood materials could be mixed with compost and used as planting media for turmeric production.

A field experiment was conducted during the 2025 medicinal turmeric crop cycle to compare farmers' traditional planting practices with two recommended treatments using inoculated biochar and compost from chipped palm fronds. The aim was to evaluate their effects on turmeric growth and yield.

However, severe flooding in Southern Thailand at the end of 2025 damaged approximately 95% of the experimental samples. Despite the limited data, the remaining samples showed a positive trend, with turmeric grown under the recommended treatments producing higher rhizome weights, up to 3kg per bag compared with approximately 1kg per bag under traditional management.

As the sample size was insufficient for statistical analysis, the results remain preliminary. The experiment was therefore re-established in early 2026, and data collection is ongoing to validate these initial observations.

Satun Field Day: Learning through Practice and Exchange

To amplify these experiences and encourage wider learning among farming communities, a dedicated Field Day was organized on 6 May 2026 in Kuan-Don District, Satun province to demonstrate joint collaborative work between the Department of Agricultural Extension (DOAE) and GETHAC Project with oil palm and turmeric farmer groups in Satun.

The Satun Field Day served as a dynamic learning platform where farmers could exchange experiences and observe practical demonstrations.  At different demonstration stations participants explored topics including residue management, biomass selection, biochar production methods, compost integration, and the use of biochar-based planting materials in turmeric cultivation.

The event also attracted strong institutional participation. The Vice Minister from Thailand’s Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MOAC), Ms. Piyarat Tiyapairat, and Mrs. Anchalee Suvachittanont and Mr. Rapeetouch Unjittphan, the Director-General and Deputy Dirctor-General of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DOAE), attended the Field Day together with local extension officers and GETHAC Project’s Team Leader and Agricultural Expert, Mr. Karsten Ziebell and Mr. Arusa Vontanetra, reflecting increasing recognition of biochar and residue management within broader agricultural development discussions.

From Local Demonstrations to International Dialogue

Held from 20–22 May 2026 at BITEC Bangkok under the theme “Farm. Farmer. Future.”, the event brought together international stakeholders across agricultural mechanization, smart farming, sustainability, and knowledge transfer. Within this international setting, the GETHAC Project and the International Biochar Asia Pacific (IBAP) co-organized the “Biochar Journey” booth, an interactive exhibition space dedicated to showcasing pathways from agricultural residues to biochar application and knowledge exchange.

The booth was intentionally designed as an educational journey consisting of four learning zones. Visitors could explore the transformation of residues into biochar, discover educational and research initiatives, learn about different production technologies, and engage with practical field applications.

A particularly unique aspect of the Biochar Journey booth was the active involvement of farmers from our GETHAC Project. Farmer representatives from six demonstration groups participated in the exhibition and exchange experiences with visitors.

The GETHAC farmers explained how they sourced local biomass, operated kilns, integrated biochar into compost, and applied it within turmeric cultivation systems. These discussions provided visitors with practical understanding that extended beyond technical theory. This peer-to-peer exchange also reflected a broader principle within agricultural development: meaningful innovation often spreads most effectively through relationships and shared experiences.

The booth further emphasized interactive learning through the “Biochar Passport” activity, which guided visitors through four thematic zones: feedstock residues, research and education, production, and application. Participants collected a stamp at each station as they progressed through the journey.

The activity was designed as a tool for an engaging introduction to the biochar value chain and its stakeholders. Visitors learned how biochar can be produced from agricultural residues such as maize, bamboo, and rice straw, how research and collaboration support its development, how it can be produced at scales ranging from smallholder farms to industrial facilities, and how it can be used in various applications.

GLOCAL: A Model which Creates Interexchange Platform for Sustainable Agriculture between Local Communities and Global Diversity

The journey from demonstration plots in Satun province to the international stage at AGRITECHNICA Asia & HortEx 2026 reflects the growing importance of locally grounded solutions in addressing global agricultural challenges in Southeast Asia.

The GETHAC Project’s approach highlights how agricultural cooperation can bridge different levels of engagement, from village-level experimentation to regional policy dialogue and international exhibitions. Farmers remain central to this process, not simply as beneficiaries, but as co-creators and communicators of knowledge. As interest in sustainable agriculture, residue management, and carbon-smart farming continues to grow, these experiences provide valuable examples of how practical innovations can be amplified through collaboration and exchange.