Soil Remineralization for Sustainable Crop Production

Allen V. Barker, Tara A. O’Brien & Joanna Campe Abstract Soil remineralization is the utilization of mineral fines to restore soil fertility through replenishment of plant nutrients removed by agricultural activities or by forces of nature. Basalt dust from a rock quarry or glacial moraine dust from a gravel quarry were evaluated for their effects on nutrient availability in soils and on yields and composition of lettuce (Lactuca sativa longifolia Lam.), apple (Malus sylvestris L.), or sweet corn (Zea mays rugosa Bonaf.). Extractable soil K and Ca were increased for all plots, and some increases in extractable P, Fe, Mn, and Mg were detected ...

Container production of tomato with food by‐product compost and mineral fines

Tara O'Brien, Allen V. Barker and Joanna Campe ABSTRACT Agricultural applications are sought for by-products from agricultural, municipal, and industrial operations. Incorporation into media for container production of crops is a suggested use of organic and mineral by-products. Composted food by-products generated by grocery stores and restaurants and mineral fines from the aggregate industry were assessed in the formulation of media for tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) production in containers. The basic medium was compost and perlite (2 compost: 1 perlite, v:v). This medium was mixed with basalt fines or glacial moraine fines added ...

Applications of Diabase Rock Dust in Brixlegg Forest

Foresters are applying lime in the Austrian forests against acid rain. They know that lime is too alkaline and destroys the humus because it destroys the acid-alkaline balance. Lime destroys the nitrogen compounds in the humus and it leaches nitrogen into the water which is a pollutant. Measurements show that with acid rain comes about 40, 50, 60 kilos of nitrogen per hectare.

An Interview with Dr. Robert Bruck, Ph.D. Director of the Environment for North Carolina on the State of the Appalachian Forests and Remineralization

In North America we’ve seen over the past ten or fifteen years significant and serious decline of certain forest species. The ones we’re most concerned about are high elevation red spruce and Fraser fir forests in the Appalachians. These forests comprise very unique mountaintop ecosystems on four, five and six thousand foot peaks. They’re quite rate in that they’re remnants from the last glaciation period: very beautiful, very unique. We’ve seen very rapid decline, dieback and death of these forests occur to a great extent in high elevations of the eastern Appalachians.