This project took place in southern Tanzania as a way to assist farmers in increasing soil productivity by finding and testing local raw materials.
Unlike other elements that are soluble and easily accessible, rock phosphate needs to be processed in order to make the phosphorus in them available for plant and soil intake.
A study in Zimbabwe suggests that this mixture increases plant growth, phosphorus levels, and organic carbon.
With industrial fertilizers becoming more of an issue, both for farmers as costs continue to increase[7] and environmentalists with ecological concerns, many people have been searching for alternatives.
[8] Other benefits of these rock fertilizers include raising the pH of the soils and being able to locally source materials from mining waste.
Malachite – useful for correction of copper deficiencies Scoria – useful as a mulching material to conserve soil water and provide slow release of nutrients.
Zeolite – useful in conserving nitrogen and releasing phosphorus from apatite couple reaction, also raises pH Using raw materials could drastically improve agricultural production as it is both cost-effective, easily accessible, and sustainable.
Agrogeology, although still in development, is proving to be of agronomic importance for crop cultivation and yield, resulting in solving issues regarding food shortage and the economy associated with farming.