Gibberellic acid (GA₃) is an important phytohormone, a member of gibberellins family, which acts as a promoter and regulator of plant growth. This study aimed to evaluate GA₃ production by Fusarium moniliforme LPB03 and Gibberella fujikuroi LPB06 using different techniques of fermentation, solid state fermentation (SSF), submerged fermentation (SmF), and semisolid state fermentation (SSSF), and different types of bioreactors. In all techniques, citric pulp (CP), a subproduct obtained from the extraction of orange juice, was employed as the substrate/support. GA₃ production by SSF reached 7.60 g kg⁻¹ and 7.34 g kg⁻¹ in Erlenmeyer flasks and column bioreactors, respectively. For SmF, the highest concentration of GA₃ obtained was 236.00 mg L⁻¹ in Erlenmeyer flasks, 273.00 mg L⁻¹ in a 10 L stirred tank reactor (STR), and 203.00 mg L⁻¹ in a 1.5 L bubble column reactor (BCR). SSSF was conducted with a CP suspension. In this case, GA₃ concentration reached 331.00 mg L⁻¹ in Erlenmeyer flasks and 208 mg L⁻¹ in a BCR. The choice of the fermentation technique is undoubtedly linked to the characteristics and productivity of each process. The methods studied are inexpensive and were found to produce good proportions of GA₃, making them suitable for several applications.

Waste treatment and valorization have become crucial for sustainable development towards a circular economy. As an alternative, biochar production is a promising process to convert wastes into a valuable product that presents several potential applications to cope with environmental problems. Biochar in recent years has been the subject of many studies, which have leveraged the number of patents and the industrial interest in this process. Against this background, this overview aimed: (i) to identify the advances in biochar research; (ii) to assess the number of patents on biochar over the years; (iii) to look at the industrial production of biochar worldwide; (iv) to detect the potential for biochar production in Brazil regarding waste biomass availability; and (v) to discuss the potential of biochar in contributing to reach some Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The holistic analysis presented here suggests that progress has been made in research, patent development, and industrial implementation of biochar, and that its potential role in achieving certain SDGs is noteworthy. Therefore, this overview can be useful in guiding future research about biochar to improve the knowledge of the different branches in this field.