15/07/2025
VOLCANIC ROCK COULD BE THE SAVIOUR FOR OUR FARMERS
We know of the Volcano Trail at Port Victoria but researchers at the University of South Australia have found a unique way of using the mineral.
New research shows that cheap volcanic rock that languishes in open cut mines and quarries could transform Australia’s farming sector as a natural fertiliser, boosting crop yields and removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
It turns out that crushed basalt – a common rock used to make roads, houses, schools and hospitals – may address two very critical issues of our time: climate change and acidic soils.
University of South Australia (UniSA) environmental researcher Dr Binoy Sarkar (pictured) is leading an Enhanced Rock Weathering trial that involves applying crushed basalt to agricultural soils, measuring its nutrient release and carbon capture.
Dr Sarkar said farmers on Yorke Peninsula and across the nation spend nearly $1.2 billion a year to tackle soil acidification, using expensive liming materials that in themselves contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.
“Large volumes of adequately fine rock particles – a byproduct of the mining and construction industry – can be bought for as little as $30 per ton and applied to soils using existing farm equipment, with negligible expense.
“Basalt does not completely replace chemical fertilisers, but it can cut fertiliser amounts needed to grow crops, saving farmers a lot of money and substantially improving their profit margins," he said.
“It will also provide opportunities for farmers and quarry owners to sell carbon credits and earn additional profits.
"Our farmers will be able to take advantage of this huge market when we have a strong monitoring, reporting and verification program for the technology,” he concluded.
