Silicate rock powder: effect on selected chemical properties of a range of soils from Western Australia and on plant growth as assessed in a glasshouse experiment

P. Hinsinger, M. D. A. Bolland, R. J. Gilkes Abstract Soil samples were collected from 20 locations from the south western part of Western Australia and incubated at 25 °C for 60 days without or with finely ground granite powder at a rate of 20 g kg−1 soil, equivalent to about 20 t ha−1. Electrical conductivity and exchangeable Na, Ca and Mg were not significantly affected by granite application for most soils. Conversely, among the 20 soils studied, nine exhibited a significant increase in exchangeable K (atp