WATER RETENTION ABILITY OF PANAMIN AGRO FERTILIZER ON BASE OF VOULCANIC ROCK POWDER
WATER RETENTION ABILITY OF PANAMIN AGRO FERTILIZER ON BASE OF VOULCANIC ROCK POWDER

Summary/Abstract: The purpose of present study is to be revealed the possibility of rock meal powder to retain water in the soil when the same product is applied as a non-organic fertilizer. Soil water retention became more and more important in the agriculture during the recent years due the climate changes, hotter summers and less rains. Its important to figure out is applied fertilizers in the soil changed its water retention ability. Panamin Agro® is a finely ground rock flour derived from natural, Austrian volcanic rocks. It’s consisted mainly from calcium carbonate – 38.11 %, magnesium carbonate – 18.48 % and silicone dioxide – 16.8 % as well as some minor elements as potassium dioxide – 0.91 %, phosphate – 0.01 % and iron oxide – 0.52 %. Panamin Agro is used as a fertilizer in various crops as cereals, orchards, vegetables, essential oil crops, and grapes. It can be applied both as soil and leaves treatments. The present research was studying the water retention ability of soil amended (or fertilized) with this natural product. The trials were conducted in in vitro conditions for elimination of the butterfly effect and maximum accuracy of the results. Additionally - both distilled and very hard water (196 ppm CaCO3) were used in the trials for estimation the influence of the water hardness in the process of soil water retention. The readings of results were made 24, 48 hours and 7 days after the start of the tests. The results show that hardness of the water does not play a role in the water retention of the soil (p>0.05) i.e. there is no difference if the irrigation of the plants is made by soft or hard water towards its ability to be retained from the soil. However – the application of rock powder (Panamin Agro® in this case) in doses of 80 – 100 grams per kg soil or 0.8 - 1 kg Panamin Agro per square meter, can significantly decrease water losses from the soil i.e. increase water retention ability of the soils fertilized by this product on the base of rock meal powder. It was found also in this research, that rock dust can achieve better water retention of the soil when water hardness in bigger. So even through that received results shows that hardness of the water does not play a role in the water retention of the soil, when this product on the base of rock power is applied in the soil in doses of or 0.8 - 1 kg per square meter, using the hard water will achieve better water retention and respectively – effectiveness in the soil. Panamin Agro can persist in the soil for several years, which on the other hand makes these high doses economically acceptable. Even after 7 days, soil amended with Panamin Agro can preserve some of the water in the conducted in vitro tests. The future trials must be conducted to be revealed is this better soil water retention can be achieve only with Panamin Agro or with other products on the base of rock meals or clays.

• Details
• Contents