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New Brazilian fertilizer can boost productivity
Agência BRASIL | APRIL 10, 2014
A mineral compound has been developed to produce a fertilizer which increases agricultural productivity at reduced environmental impact.
This discovery is the result of a collaboration by the Ministry for Science, Technology, and Innovation's Centre for Mineral Technology (CETEM); the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa); the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ); and Geological Survey housed under the Ministry of Mines and Energy.
CETEM researcher Marisa Bezerra Monte told Agência Brasil on Monday (Apr. 7) that they have produced a zeolite concentrate (a porous multimineral mix) and changed the surface properties of its particles to enable nutrient exchanges. A zeolite from Brazil, found in the state of Maranhão, was used in the process, mixed with other clays. “Adding clay improves the exchange properties of the concentrate, which is useful in agriculture,” Monte explained.
The material also provides benefits for irrigation. “It reduces irrigation needs by 50% of the cycle.” The study went on to compare the use of other urea (ammonia)-added material commonly used in agriculture to the zeolite compound.
“We've found out that we could reduce nutrient losses through volatilization by 80% if we use zeolite,” the researcher explained. “It retains excess and releases nutrients really slowly.”
In order to illustrate the advantages, she drew a comparison: “It's like feeding a child. You don't want to give them all the food straight away. You do it slowly, by bits. That's pretty much the same with growing a plant.”
Initial testing was conducted using citrus seedlings. (As Monte pointed out, Brazil is the leading global seedling producer, and these seedlings are grown indoors, in contamination-free environments). Productivity gains of 40% were obtained by using the zeolite concentrate for growing the seedlings. It was subsequently tested on tomatoes, lettuce, and rice, by cycling the crops. Once again, the tests showed that the material released nutrients slowly. “You can use this material on one, two, or three different cultures.” Other tests were carried out on flowers, with similar results.
Marisa believes that the discovery could help replace Brazil's fertilizer imports. “The amounts needed are smaller than when we use soluble, lower-productivity fertilizers. So in a way it could help reduce imports, because with slower [nutrient] releases, plants can absorb it by portions more suited to their metabolism, their pace of growth. We could have a protocol for that.”
The invention has recently been patented in Brazil and the next step is to make it commercially available. According to Marisa Bezerra Monte, the compound could provide an alternative to the use of soluble fertilizers, which pollute water and waste nutrients. Some companies have already shown interest, including Petrobras, she told Agência Brasil.
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