FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS OF SOIL REMINERALISATION USING QUARRY FINES IN AUSTRALIA

Transcription

1 FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS OF SOIL REMINERALISATION USING QUARRY FINES IN AUSTRALIA ION DUMITRU, TONY ZDRILIC and GREG JOHNSON Boral Construction Materials, Australia Abstract Greenhouse trials using different types and application rates of basaltic quarry fines showed a beneficial impact on soil quality, plant health and growth. Basaltic quarry fines with higher levels of paramagnetic intensity have significantly improved plant growth when compared to basaltic quarry fines with lower levels of paramagnetic intensity. Due to the nature of basaltic quarry fines, the release of the trace elements and minerals is very slow as the quarry fines take time to break down. Experimental trials have been carried out on soil treated with quarry fines together with microbial treatments in order to speed up the release of minerals and trace elements. Blends of quarry fines and microbial treatments have resulted in an improvement of the plants quality due to the release of locked up minerals and trace elements. The treatment has improved the soil water holding capacity and in general, the plants health and performance. Based on the success of greenhouse experiments, field trials have been carried out with good results. A specific emphasis has been placed in particular on golf courses and on the grass playing surfaces within high profile stadiums. Key Words: Soil remineralisation, quarry fines, paramagnetic intensity, plant growth, microbial treatment, trace elements, minerals. 1

2 Introduction Greenhouse trials carried out previously have demonstrated that quarry fines with an extensive range of trace elements and high paramagnetic levels have beneficial effects on soil quality and plants health and growth (Dumitru et al, 1999). It has consistently been stated in the literature that certain types of quarry fines, when applied to the soil, have been found to improve the soil ph, moisture retention, microbial activity, soil structure and in turn the humus complex. Quarry fines are commonly referred to as blue metal dust in Australia and work carried out has demonstrated that it is the extensive range of trace elements within the quarry fines that determines its suitability as a soil conditioner. The most beneficial quarry fines are produced from igneous rock types. Paramagnetism, - one of the subtle natural energies addressed by US-based researcher Dr. Philip Callahan was also considered in all trials. Paramagnetism is a measure of how fast material will move towards a magnet of known intensity, the force being expressed as centimetres per gram per second multiplied by 10-6 (Callahan, 1995). In a recent interview with Acres Australia Magazine Dr. Philip Callahan has short-listed the major benefits of paramagnetism in agriculture as being:- water retention microbial stimulation improved nutrient utilisation provision of a light energy source within the soil profile According to Dr. Callahan (Acres Australia, 2000) the paramagnetic force is light from rocks for the roots. The rock is actually a transceiver collecting magnetism from the cosmos and throwing it back to the roots. Roots are wave-guides, just like the antenna on insects One drawback with the quarry fines is the very slow rate of release of trace elements and minerals due to its strong physical nature. The quarry fines are well known as being beneficial for the microbial activity within the soil. In a symbiotic process, the micro-organisms within the soil are responsible for the breakdown of the quarry fines and in turn the release of much needed elements which are made available for plant uptake The micro-organisms consume the quarry fines and the 2

3 acids within their digestive system breakdown the individual particles from an insoluble to a soluble form. The digested material is excreted by the micro-organisms and it is utilised within the soil, in conjunction with decaying organic matter for the formation of the humus complex. The formation of a good humus complex is not possible without moisture, micro-organisms, organic matter and an extensive range of trace elements as derived from quarry fines. Experimental greenhouse trials, followed up by field trials have been carried out using soil microbial treatments in order to assist the quarry fines to realise their full potential. The soil microbial treatment used is Nutratherm GR50 produced by Nutratherm Pty. Ltd. The GR50 is the intellectual property of Nutratherm, consisting of material high in organic carbon, fish emulsion, kelp, humate, humic and fulvic acids, sugars, carbohydrates, amino acids, digested organic matter and biologicals in heavy liquid form (Acres Australia, 1999). Greenhouse Trials A detailed pot trial program was undertaken in order to assess the impact of a soil microbial treatment on quarry fines from nine various sources of rock with different paramagnetic intensity, mineralogical and chemical composition. Details of the properties of various sources of quarry fines are presented in Table 1. Thegrowingmediausedforthetrialswasa1:1:1mixtureofcoco-peat, perlite and river sand. The quarry fines were incorporated into the media by mixing the desired amount into the top 10cm of the mix. Once the rock dust was mixed in, the seeds were planted into the media and the first application of the microbial treatment was applied. 3

4 source/location/general Information 1. Basalt within NSW The rock has very high paramagnetic readings of up to 5000 c/g/s. The Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) is 3.4 meq/100g. 2. Basalt within NSW Very high paramagnetic readings of in excess of 5000 c/g/s and high CEC (14.2 meq/100g) 3. Quartz diorite rock within NSW with paramagnetic readings of 2200 c/g/s/ The CEC is 3.8 meq/100g. 4. A Limburgite rock from Victoria with paramagnetic levels of 2750 c/g/s and CEC (11.20 meq/100g). The rock weathers quickly. 5.Greenstone ametamorphicrockinqueenslandwithlow paramagnetic readings of 800 c/g/s/ but a good range of trace elements. The CEC is 3.7 meq/100g. 6. Metamorphic rock (hornfels) from Queensland with extreme/high level of paramagnetism (7750 c/g/s/) but minimal amount of trace elements/nutrients. The CEC is 6.0 meq/100g. 7. Quaternary basalt in NSW. The rock has very low paramagnetic readings of 300 c/g/s, is very hard and contains a reasonable level of trace elements and nutrients. 8. Quaternary basalt from NSW with good amount of trace/nutrient elements but very low paramagnetic readings. The CEC is 2.4 meq/100g 9. Quaternary basalt from NSW with good range of trace elements/nutrients. It should be mentioned the relatively high level of phosphorous and potassium. The paramagnetic readingis1350c/g/sandcecis7.60meq/100g. Chemical Composition % Total mg/kg ph SiO 2 Al 2O 3 Fe 2O 3 CaO MgO Na 2O K 2O TiO 2 Cu Cr Pb Nitrogen Phos phorous ND ND <0.02 < < < < <100 < ND < < < Table 1 Properties of quarry fines sources 4

5 Experimental design Nine types of quarry fines have been used together with the soil microbial treatment GR50, as supplied by Nutratherm. The plant species used was Radish Long Scarlet, currently used in the Australian Standard for potting mixes as a toxicity assessment. The experiment duration was for 8 weeks, utilising 12 treatments, with 4 seeds per pot, thinned to 2 plants, resulting on a total of 120 pots. Experimental treatments Nine types of quarry fines have been assessed against a control (no quarry fines, no artificial fertiliser and no microbial treatment), a growing medium treated with a soil microbial treatment and a growing medium treated with one of the most widely used artificial fertiliser only (Nutricote). The microbial treatment application rate was 20 ml per pot weekly and the quarry fines application rate was equivalent to 10t/ha or approximately 12.27g per 125mm pot. Plant measurements The following plant measurements were made over the period of the trial:- germination record each day from day 3 to day 14. ph and electrical conductivity (EC) of the media six weeks after sowing. plant heights at weekly intervals up until week 8. total fresh and dry weight. Data analysis The initial data was entered into Excel Spreadsheets to provide a visual indicator of major trends and basic statistical data. The data was subsequently transferred to MINITAB Spreadsheets for comprehensive statistical analysis. Results obtained from the plant measurements were tested for significant differences between treatments. Tests were carried out using a one way analysis of variance (ANOVA) at the 95% confidence interval. Plant Measurements Results Germination Signs of germination had started five days after the commencement of the trial. Although still early, with the mean only 0.6 out of a possible four, significant differences, p 0.022, were found with the artificial fertiliser (Nutricote). The 5

6 germination rates of the plants within the control and the growing medium with the microbial treatments was significantly better than for each of the growing medium treated with the different quarry fines. The seven days results did not show any significant differences between any of the trials. However, nine days after the commencement of the trial, significant differences were found between treatments in the total number of seeds germinated. The trials using microbial treatments alone or in combination with any of the nine quarry fines, had a higher success rate of germination than the control and the artificial fertiliser treatments. Electrical Conductivity (EC) and ph Both the EC and ph of each treatment was measured six weeks into the trial in order to assess what influence the various quarry fines and microbial treatment applications have had on the trial. The EC results show large differences between treatments as presented in Figure 1. The results for all quarry fines treatments are higher than control, artificial fertiliser and microbial treatment only, with quarry fines treatment 2 showing the highest result of 400µs/cm. The ph results presented in Figure 2 do not show significant differences except for the artificial fertiliser treatment which is low as expected (5.8) compared to the average microbial treatment (ph = 7.8). Surprisingly the ph of the microbial treatments and quarry fines are slightly below the microbial treatment only EC (us/cm) Control Nutricote Source 1 Source 3 Source 4 Treatment Source 5 Source 7 Source 2 Source 6 Source 8 Source 9 Figure 1 The growing media EC after six weeks 6

7 ph Control Nutricote Source 1 Source 3 Source 4 Source 5 Source 7 Source 2 Source 6 Source 8 Source 9 Treatment Figure 2 The growing media ph after six weeks This is probably due to the fact that the breakdown of the quarry fines did not fully take place after only six weeks and more time was necessary to achieve the full potential. Plant heights Two weeks into the trial, significant differences in height were visible, with all treatments being taller than the control. In fact, throughout the entire trial, the control treatment plants did not grow much more than their height at the end of week 2. From week 3 until the completion of the trial, the artificial fertiliser treatment (Nutricote) remained significantly taller than all the other treatments. A comparison of radish growth with a microbial treatment only against various quarry fines plus microbial treatment is shown in Figure 3. The large majority of quarry fines plus microbial treatments are taller than the microbial treatment without quarry fines. Quarry fines from sources No. 7, 2 and 4 are significantly taller than the microbial treatment without quarry fines. The plants grown within the growing medium as treated with quarry fines from source 9 had a mean height of mm 7

8 at the end of week 8, which is 44.5% taller than for the plants grown in the growing medium treated with a microbial treatment alone Height (mm) Control Nutricote Source 1 Source 3 Source 4 Source 5 Source 7 Source 2 Source 6 Source 8 Source Week Figure 3 The plant mean height of quarry fines treatment over 8 weeks Total fresh and dry weight The results for both the total fresh and dry weight of plants are mostly comparable to the results for plant height results. The artificial fertiliser (Nutricote) treatment resulted in plants that were significantly heavier than all of the treatments, while the control was significantly lighter than all other treatments. When the control and the artificial fertiliser treatments are excluded from the analysis, the plants grown within the growing medium treated with quarry fines source 9 are significantly heavier than all of the remaining treatments with a mean weight of 34.67g. All total fresh and dry weight results for the plants are presented in Figures 4 and 5 with Figure 6 showing the benefits of quarry fines combined with soil microbial treatments. 8

9 Weight (g) Control Nutricote Source 1 Source 3 Source 4 Source 5 Treatment Source 7 Source 2 Source 6 Source 8 Source 9 Figure 4 The plant mean fresh weight 6 Figure 4 The mean fresh weight of each treatment 5 4 Weight (g) Control Nutricote Source 1 Source3 Source4 Source5 Treatment Source 7 Source2 Source6 Source 8 Source 9 Figure 5 The plant mean dry weight 9

10 CONTROL Microbial Stimulants Source 2 Microbial Stimulants Figure 6 Visual comparison between treated and untreated growing medium 10

11 General Discussions of Results It has been known for some time through previous greenhouse trials that the ability of the quarry fines to improve plant growth depends on its source. It is considered that the rock s mineralogical composition, its Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC), the paramagnetic intensity and the physical properties will make the difference. In this current trial, the results have shown that the quarry fines that performed the best in terms of growth and yield were from rock sources No. 9, 2 and 4. Upon closer analysis of the data, it was concluded that the reasons for the three quarry fines that performed well over the other quarry fines are not just only the higher paramagnetic intensity but also their relatively high phosphorous contents and their high CEC. Phosphorous is essential for plant growth as it is needed for photosynthesis respiration, energy storage and transfer, cell division and cell enlargement. Some micro-organisms secrete organic acids, which break down insoluble calcium phosphates and release phosphorous. Much of the phosphorous released is taken up by the micro-organisms themselves, which in turn become organic phosphorous. Soil organic matter is an important source of phosphorous for plant uptake, although it must be converted to a mineral form before a plant can take it up. Phosphorous mobilisation is closely related to the organic carbon in the soil, the higher the concentration of organic phosphorous within the soil, the faster it will be mineralised for plant uptake (Glendinning, 2000). These findings are in line with Dr. Philip Callahan s thoughts on the matter who considers that.paramagnetism is not a substitute for nutrition.paramagnetism stimulates bacteria to increase the bio-availability of micro and macro nutrients but if you do not have those nutrients present, you don t get the desired results.. (Acres, Australia, January, 2000). However, it must be emphasised that the level of the paramagnetic intensity within the quarry fines is of the highest importance. As it was demonstrated previously, (Dumitru et al, 1999), 11

12 when no microbial treatment was used, the higher the paramagnetic intensity for a quarry fines product, the more positive was the plant response. As shown in Figure 7, the plants grown within the quarry fines from source 1 outperformed all the other treatments with quarry fines which also included the quarry fines from source 9. It is important to emphasise that the duration of this trial was only eight weeks whereas for plant growth and the growing medium to receive the full benefits of the paramagnetic intensity within the quarry fines, a much longer period of time is required. The paramagnetic intensity can be described as a vibrating frequency or a resonance which is a subtle energy that enables plants to grow in concert with nature s rhythm. A higher paramagnetic intensity within quarry fines is necessary as the higher level will immediately exert a greater influence on plant growth. More importantly, any nutritional deficiencies that a quarry fines with a high paramagnetic intensity may have can be included as part of the ingredients that are used for the preparation of microbial treatments. Also, quarry fines products with a high and very high paramagnetic intensity enables the necessary biological transmutations to take place within microbial treatments which are so vital for soil formation. Conversely, the best microbial treatment without a suitable quarry fines product will not be able to generate an equivalent soil formation response and therefore the necessary plant growth and health. (Acres, Australia, May 2000) Weight Source 9 0tn/ha Source 95tn/ha Source 9 10tn/ha Source 920 tn/ha Source 2 0tn/ha Source 2 5tn/ha Source 2 10tn/ha Source 2 20tn/ha Source 8 0tn/ha Source 8 5tn/ha Source 8 10tn/ha Source 8 20tn/ha Treatment Source 10 0tn/ha Source 10 5tn/ha Source 10 10tn/ha Source 10 20tn/ha Figure 7 Average radish plant height eight weeks after sowing Field Trials 12

13 Several field trials using quarry fines and soil biological stimulants have been carried out on golf courses, vineyards, dairy farms, olives groves and cotton crops. Results of these trials to date have been very encouraging, however it is not the scope of this scientific paper to discuss all of these in detail. It is however interesting to highlight the trial carried out on Long Reef Golf Course within the Northern Beaches area of Sydney. Prior to the combined use of the quarry fines and Nutratherm soil biological stimulants, Long Reef Golf Course, due to its pure sand profiles and location on the coast, had severe problems with pests and diseases, water retention and also water quality within the golf courses dams. Following the application of the quarry fines and the Nutratherm soil biological stimulants to the majority of the courses greens in 1999, significant improvements were made to the quality of the turf. The improved plant quality of the greens (see Figures 8) increased the pest and disease tolerance of the greens leading to a massive 87% reduction in chemical usage saving $AUD38,000 in the last year. The properties of the quarry fines also improved drought tolerance by increasing the water retention and by converting to this natural system. Long Reef Golf Course has improved the water quality runoff which has seen an elimination of algal blooms in the dams and a return of native ducks to these water bodies. Long Reef Golf Course and many more golf courses in Sydney and Melbourne have started using quarry fines and microbial stimulants for their entire golf course area. Figures 8. Quarry fines and Nutratherm soil biological stimulants on the Long Reef Golf Course nursery. 13

14 An additional example of the benefits of a high paramagnetic intensity rock is shown in Figure 9. Hydroponic tomatoes grown in a single size 5mm quarry fines growing medium on the right hand side shows significantly improved root development when compared to sawdust as used by industry as a growing medium. Figure 9 Comparison of root development between 5mm quarry fines and sawdust growing mediums Conclusions 1. The ability of quarry fines to improve plant growth depends on a number of factors such as the rock type, its mineralogical composition, physical properties, cation exchange capacity (CEC), paramagnetic intensity readings etc. 2. Experimental trials with quarry fines and soil microbial treatments (using the Nutratherm GR-50 product) has shown very good results in speeding up the release of the locked up minerals, to a soluble form for plant uptake. The same treatment have also shown in other experiments some promising developments in the area of management practices for the control of nematodes, indicating that the common use of nematicides can be reduced. (Figure 10) 3. High to very high paramagnetic readings are not a substitute for micro and macro nutrients but rather a stimulant for the increase of the bio-availability of these nutrients. 4. It is obvious that in the future, blends of different quarry fines are to be considered in order to obtain the maximum benefit that can be obtained from each type of quarry fines. Problems that would inevitably arise in blending quarry fines from different sources are the geographical and commercial constraints involved in transporting the quarry fines over long distances as is normally encountered in Australia. 14

15 5. Further studies are to concentrate on the mechanisms by which the quarry fines and soil microbial treatments may suppress the action of the nematodes or enhance the plant growth even when the nematodes continue to be present within the soil. Effect of Quarry Fines and Soil Microbial Stimulants on the height of Nematode Inoculated Tomato Plants (after 4 weeks). Control Quarry Fines Quarry Fines microbial stimulants Effect of Quarry Fines and Soil Microbial Stimulants on the height of Nematode Inoculated Tomato Plants (after 6 weeks) Quarry Fines Sweetpit Microbial Stimulants Control Figure 10 Effect of quarry fines and soil microbial treatment on the height of nematode inoculated tomato plants 15

16 References 1. Dumitru I, Zdrilic A & Azzopardi A, 1999, Soil Remineralisation with basaltic rock dust in Australia ICAR,7 th Annual Symposium Proceedings, The University of Texas, Austin, USA. 2. Callahan, P.S., 1995, Paramagnetism, Rediscovering Nature s Secret Force of Growth, Acres, Louisiana, USA. 3. Acres Australia, January 2000, Light from rock for the roots. Interview with Dr. Phillip Callahan. 4. Acres Australia, February 2000, Phillip Callahan, Outside the mainstream Interview, with Dr. Philip Callahan. 5. Acres Australia, Biological farming. Indigeneous microbes at heart of soil management system. 6. Acres Australia, May Unlocking the Secrets of Dust. 7. Glendinning, J.S., 2000, Australia, Soil Fertility Manual., CSIRO Publishing, Victoria, Australia. Web Address: 16