Volcanic rock trial boosts crops and captures carbon
VOLCANIC rocks used as fertiliser on North East fields can increase crop growth by more than 20%, a Newcastle University study has found.
The research on the use of basalt rock on farmland using a process called enhanced rock weathering (ERW) would make farmland more productive, capture carbon, and reduce the amount of pollutants washing into rivers, the study found.
It comes after a year of the practice being studied by researchers at Newcastle University and sustainability business Undo, which found that crop yield was between 9.3% and 20.5% higher, depending on the cultivation technique used. The trial results also showed a stabilising effect on the soil pH and that ERW can boost nutrient availability for plants.
The trial results showed no additional toxic elements taken up by crops in the plots where basalt had been spread and the food was safe for consumption, the researchers said. They hope their paper, published in the scientific journal Plos One, will incentivise farmers to take up the practice.
Prof David Manning, one of the co-authors on the paper, said: “The results of this trial give further scientific credibility for enhanced rock weathering and greatly improve its value proposition to farmers.”
Fellow co-author Prof Yit Arn The added: “Independent bodies, such as the IPCC and UK Committee for Climate Change, have repeatedly highlighted the urgent need for climate action in the agriculture and land use sector to counter the effects of dangerous climate change. At the same time, the agricultural sector is under increasing pressure to meet key sustainability and environmental targets, against a backdrop of rising farm operating costs, driven by the cost of living crisis.
“Use of enhanced rock weathering to remove carbon dioxide and naturally enhance soil health represents a potential win-win for farmers and climate as this technology is able to capture carbon dioxide while simultaneously supplying some of the key nutrients that crops require for successful growth. By using locallysourced rocks, rather than inputs (e.g. fertilisers) obtained from overseas, supply chains are also shortened, further reducing the overall carbon footprint of food production.”
Undo was created by Scottish eco-entrepreneur and former Durham University student, Jim Mann, and the company was recently nominated for the Prince William-supported Earthshot prize.
It supplies basalt chips to farmers for free, claims carbon credits in return and then ploughs the money from those credits into buying more basalt. It already does this at scale in the North of England and Scotland, spreading 140,000 tonnes of basalt in the UK alone last year.