Rocks for Crops: Agrominerals of sub-Saharan Africa.

A productive and sustainable agricultural system is fundamental to the well being of a nation and a cornerstone of its development. In most of sub-Saharan Africa, more than 50% of the population rely on agriculture for their livelihood, which generally contributes more than 30% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Agriculture is the major source of income, employment, food security and survival for the majority of the population. While agricultural production is steadily increasing in sub-Saharan Africa, the population is growing faster than food production. The result is a net decline in per-capita food production, which contributes to increased food ...

IDENTIFICATION OF ZEOLITE GROUP OF MINERALS BY REFLECTANCE SPECTROSCOPY

The use of zeolites to improve the quality of the soil for agriculture gains space around the world. The high cation exchange capacity of zeolites favors the retention of nutrients in the soil and the high capacity of these minerals to retain water in their crystal lattices makes them excellent soil conditioner. The absence of zeolite deposits in exploration in Brazil points to the basalts of the Serra Geral Formation of the Parana Basin as a target with great potential for the exploration of natural zeolites. Researches done by CPRM (Geological Survey of Brazil) highlight the significant presence of zeolites at the contact between the lower flows of ...