Addition of low-grade phosphate rock for improvement of soil fertility on plant models: A preliminary case study

To sustain food production in the course of time and for efficient utilization of available resources, it is essential to approach improved methodologies and techniques for enhancing crop productivity. Commercial agricultural production has achieved this through the external application of synthetic inorganic fertilizers which has some detrimental effects on the soil structure, composition, microflora and additional characteristic properties of soil. The mining and industrial waste is an unwanted by-product of mining. Reusing and recycling of these wastes is possible therefore recovery and recycling is the most excellent environmental resolution to save raw resources and to diminish the number of industrialized waste materials produced, and also control the contamination of the environment. In the present study, an attempt has been made to utilize low-grade phosphate rock as a fertilizer and its effects on soil fertility. The raw phosphate rock samples are subjected to physicochemical test followed by elemental analysis by EDXRF (Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence). The tests confirmed that it is possible to use this raw phosphate rock as fertilizer for plant growth in a simple process. Different soil and plant parameters were measured. Data on pot experiment revealed higher plant growth is in PR amended soil than normal soil. The greatest positive effect on growth was recorded in the treatments that received phosphate rock (8g) per kg of soil. Thus, observations indicated that direct application of this PR could be an alternative, promising technology for simultaneous waste minimization, waste utilization, and improved resource-use efficiency.