Wollastonite improves results by providing a unique combination of available nutrients essential to maintaining quality and stress tolerance during plant growth.
Carbon-neutral Calcium: When calcium carbonate (lime) reacts in the soil, it releases carbon dioxide. Wollastonite breaks down into calcium and silicon, and is, therefore, carbon neutral. Like lime, the calcium helps balance soil pH and supplies calcium for high-quality plant growth. New research suggests wollastonite can become a soil carbon sink fixing up to 0.37 tonnes of carbon dioxide in a mineral form for each tonne of wollastonite applied.
Plant-Available Silicon: Although silicon is naturally abundant in soils, a very small percentage is plant-available, and continual cropping can reduce this amount. The silicon in wollastonite is in an amorphous form, meaning that in the presence of water it becomes available to plants as silicic acid.
Promoting Plant Health: Silicon is important to a plant’s passive and active resistance to environmental stresses, pests and disease. Silicon strengthens cell walls, reducing lodging, increasing drought resistance, discouraging the feeding activity of sucking and biting insects, and improves resistance to infection by fungal pathogens. Silicon is an essential element in the production of phytochemicals which plants use to defend against attack and to communicate the presence of threats to other plants.
Protecting Seeds and Roots: At the microscopic level, wollastonite has an acicular (needle-like) crystal structure. Recent field trials and ongoing research show that when wollastonite is applied as a soil amendment, it reduces grub pressure in turfgrass.
When grubs come into contact with wollastonite, their soft bodies are lacerated by the tiny needle-like crystals which leads to desiccation and death. This mechanical method of grub control is far less stressing on soils than chemical alternatives and eliminates the risk of environmental damage due to pesticide runoff.
Nutrient Management: Studies have also demonstrated wollastonite’s ability to adsorb water-soluble phosphorus and immobilize heavy metals; indicating further potential for this soil amendment to enhance soil and water quality.
We have been collecting plant and soil-related research for years on our research pages. The first three resources are an excellent way to learn about the scientific plant growth benefits wollastonite can provide.