Science Proves It: Wollastonite Delivers Superior Results

Submitted by Canadian Wollastonite | May 08, 2024

In recent editions we have profiled Canadian Wollastonite (CW) of Seeley’s Bay, and have talked about the advantages its product offers for agricultural applications. The potential of wollastonite is exciting, but even so there will inevitably be skeptics who question whether the mineral really can deliver the benefits the company is now promoting. The good news is that there is now a growing body of independently validated, evidence-based research that confirms that wollastonite can in fact become a powerful game changer for Ontario’s farmers.

One noteworthy example in this regard is an article entitled Mineral-Soil-Plant Nutrient Synergisms of Enhanced Weathering for Agriculture published in the July 2022 edition of the scientific journal Frontiers in Plant Science www.frontiersin.org. Authored by researchers in the School of Engineering at the University of Guelph, the article reports on the findings of three separate lab-scale studies that looked respectively at the results achieved with green beans, soybeans and lettuce, and spring rye. Their overall conclusion was that the results of the various studies showed that wollastonite can potentially make an important contribution to supporting plant growth and improving soil health and produce quality.

The study noted that one of the distinctive characteristics of wollastonite is that when it is applied to soil it tends to break down much more rapidly than is case with other types of silicate rock. Through a process commonly referred to as Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW) crushed wollastonite breaks down and draws down significant amounts of carbon dioxide into subsoil, contributing to atmospheric removal. At the same time, it also releases valuable nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, and in particular, plant available silicon. These have been shown to influence soil chemistry in ways that can make a significant difference for a variety of crops.

In all three studies, findings were determined by comparing results achieved for plants that had been grown in soil treated with wollastonite against results for a control group of plants grown in untreated soil. Several important characteristics were examined, including plant height, stem width, leaf blade width, root blade width, and aerial fresh and dry biomass. In all three cases, the differences observed were striking.

In the first study, which focused on green beans grown under high-stress conditions on a rooftop garden, the data showed that green beans grown in wollastonite amended soil (WAS) experienced a 57.1% increase in plant biomass fresh weight, and an even greater (88.5%) increase in dry biomass weight. The study also notes a 4.1% increase in root biomass. The authors concluded that “Wollastonite amended soil promoted robust plant growth, thus demonstrating its potential for use as a soil amendment.”

The second study looked at results achieved with soybeans and lettuce grown in a greenhouse. The two crops that were chosen because of their economic importance in Ontario. Again, the results observed attested to the benefits of wollastonite. In the case of soybeans, the study found that plant height, leaf area, and stem width were all statistically significantly higher in soybeans grown with wollastonite. The article summarizes that “Wollastonite skarn amendment caused soybean to grow larger and faster and yield more beans.”

Similarly impressive results were observed with lettuce. The study found that both plant height and leaf areas were statistically greater in lettuce grown with wollastonite, noting in particular that a 34% increase in leaf area equated to a 34% increase in yield. The authors said that “lettuce grown with wollastonite grows larger and faster, which results in a greater yield.”

One particularly interesting observation was that lettuce grown with wollastonite appears to exhibit much greater wilt resistance. The study noted in particular that lettuce grown in the control group exhibited a daily moisture loss that was 88% greater than lettuce grown in wollastonite amended soil. The authors stated that “During the wilt test experiment, it was observed that subjective appearance changes associated with wilted lettuce were observed much faster in the control lettuce as compared to the lettuce grown in wollastonite amended soil.”

The third study, which focused on spring rye, also grown in a greenhouse, looked at the effects of wollastonite when applied in combination with urea fertilizer. Three samples were examined: a control group and two others that had been treated respectively with fertilizer pellets with and without wollastonite. The study observed that the best results in terms of plant height and overall yield were achieved with the wollastonite fertilizer treatment. It also noted significant differences in the rate of uptake of silicon, an important nutrient for plants whose benefits are becoming better understood.

Emily Chiang, an Associate Professor of Environmental Engineering at the University of Guelph, was one of the co-authors of the article.

She describes wollastonite as being a “mineral of interest” and notes that it is “fast reacting”. She is also impressed with the high rate of release of silicon from wollastonite and its contributions to plant health, pointing to the study observations of lettuce as one compelling example in this regard.

“Lettuce contains a lot of water, and moisture retention is a critically important issue because it is needed for lettuce to be able to retain its freshness as it is transported to market” she says. “As our lab-scale study shows, adding wollastonite skarn as a soil amendment may play an important role helping lettuce to retain moisture for longer periods, and in reducing susceptibility to wilt.”

The next steps of this research are looking to confirm the observed effects in long-term field trials and study other benefits of wollastonite to croplands, such as stabilization of organic carbon and improvement of soil structure. More studies by agricultural researchers in Ontario are needed to help build a more complete understanding of the role of silicate minerals in sustainable agriculture.

Canadian Wollastonite is now working hard to get the word out to Ontario farmers and encourage more of them to give its product a try. Last fall the company entered into an innovation partnership with UNDO Carbon of the United Kingdom, and through the sale of carbon removal credits on the international market, the two companies are able to fully subsidize the cost of the wollastonite itself. To further sweeten the deal, CW is now offering a spring promotion wherein it pays the spreading costs. The only cost to participating farmers is the trucking charges from the mine site in Seely’s Bay.

Farmers interested in learning more about Canadian Wollastonite and its agriculture program can contact the company at 1 – 844 – 386 – 2841 or visit www.canadianwollastonite.com/carboncapture.