![]() Brazil has made soil remineralization part of its agricultural policy-a major step forward in generating global awareness and interest in the importance of rock minerals and how they help grow healthier, stronger plants with higher yields and higher levels of nutrients.īiology & Geology: A Marvelous Interaction Today, scientists across the globe continue to validate the benefits of rock dust. Hotman de Villiers who conducted a series of long-term field trials on highly degraded soil that led to increased sugarcane yields on the island of Mauritius. One of the most comprehensive studies of the benefits of rock dust came from D. In the 1930s, researchers in Europe used finely ground rock dust to treat and improve the productivity of degraded forest lands. Some of the richest, most fertile soil on the planet is found near active volcanoes, which explains why people throughout civilization have been willing to settle near volcanoes despite the potential dangers. The benefits of adding fresh sources of rock minerals to the soil are not new. Basalt’s slow-release benefits make it an effective way to minimize deficiencies, particularly with fast-growing crops that experience periods of rapid nutrient uptake. It continues to deliver a steady flow of nutrients over time, even as it decomposes. Igneous rocks like basalt and granite have the highest mineral content, with basalt providing a greater balance of nutrients for optimal plant health and vitality.Ĭreated through the cooling and solidification of magma and lava, basalt is the rock material that makes up most of the soils around the world. Instead, rock dust contains minerals like calcium and trace elements like iron and manganese which are difficult to replace once they’ve been depleted from the soil as a result of natural weathering and/or over-farming.Ī rock is a rock-right? Not quite. Results include improved plant structure, increased resistance to pests and disease, and more intense flavor profiles for fruits and vegetables.Īlthough some retailers classify rock dust as a fertilizer, it does not have the necessary amounts of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus (N-P-K) to qualify as such. Simply stated, rock minerals are the building blocks of healthy soil. The modern day solution is to add mineral fragments back to the soil with rock dust.Īlso known as rock minerals, rock flour, rock powder, stone dust, soil remineralizer and mineral fines, rock dust is finely crushed rock containing micronutrients and trace elements that are important to the life cycle of plants and which enhance the ability of beneficial microbes to flourish. We also can’t rely on Mother Nature’s old “standbys,” i.e., volcanoes, glaciers and floods, to do the work for us. As proficient as plants are, they can’t make the minerals that are essential to human health and nutrition. One of the keys to restoring the health of our soils is through the process of remineralization. Rock minerals-the building blocks of healthy soil Things will only get worse if we continue using commercial farming techniques that strip essential minerals from our soils without putting them back. ![]() But the ramifications are much larger-and they have implications for the future health of our planet. ![]() It’s why the kale that you buy in the grocery store may have a very different mineral profile from what nutritionists recommend as part of a healthy diet.Īs consumers, we might feel a little “ripped off” for being sold inferior produce. Moreover, minerals that are missing from the soil are minerals that are missing from the fruits and vegetables that it produces. The end result is poor and infertile soil. While compost is a key component of healthy soil structure, no amount of organic matter can make up for mineral deficiencies. ![]() ![]() Yet organic matter is only part of the story. Together, they join in a carefully choreographed “bacterial ballet” in which each organism has a specific role to play, from the recycling of nutrients to the decomposition of organic materials. Naturally healthy soil contains billions of living microorganisms-from bacteria to nematodes, fungi, protozoa, arthropods and earthworms. The secret to growing healthy and nutritious food begins with the soil. Rock minerals are the building blocks to healthy soil. ![]()
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