In Rio, the cobra louse takes center stage in Embrapa's innovative composting

Embrapa Agrobiology installed an innovative composter this month in a community garden in Rio de Janeiro, on the Tuiuti hill in Benfica. It is a gongolo composter, a possibility for composting organic waste of plant origin where the process is carried out by gongolos. Also known as snake lice, coffee lice, or embuás, they are part of the soil fauna and have an exceptional shredding capacity. Gongolos or snake lice are capable of feeding on fibrous materials such as sugarcane bagasse, corn cob, grass clippings, and even cardboard. The recommendation, however, is to have 30% to 40% legumes in the total volume of waste, aiming to provide nitrogen and balance nutrients for the final compost. The initiative occurred in partnership with the Carioca Gardens program, from the Municipal Secretariat of Environment and Climate. An Embrapa team oriented those involved in local production about the main organic waste that can be directed to the gongolos. It is expected that the gongolo compost ...