Use of quarry waste basalt rock powder as a soil remineralizer to grow soybean and maize

Abstract

Production costs in Brazilian agriculture have increased with the rising prices of imported soluble fertilizers. To circumvent this import dependence, low-cost indigenous nutrient sources have been tested, including basalt rock powder (BRP). In this study, we assessed BRP and limestone effects on soil fertility, and soybean and maize dry mass (DM) accumulation. Four greenhouse pots experiments were arranged in a 2 × 4 factorial design with two soils (Clay and Sandy Clay Loam) and four doses of each material (0, 33, 66, and 99 Mg ha−1 BRP and 0, 1, 2, and 4 Mg ha−1 limestone), evaluated in two species (soybean and maize). At the end of the experiments, DM, shoot P and K concentrations, and soil pH and P, K, Ca, and Mg concentrations were assessed as a function of BRP and limestone application. Applying BRP increased DM production and improved soil fertility parameters such as pH, and Ca and P concentrations, with leaf P content also increasing. Meanwhile, limestone only triggered significant changes in pH and soil Ca content.