The potential of gneiss powder to enhance soil fertility and crop nutrition in agriculture

Abstract

The increase in the global population resulted in a significant demand for food and raw materials, making the exploration of new sources of nutrients necessary. A potential way to improve soil chemical attributes and promote crop growth is using silicate rock powder as soil remineralizer. This study aimed to assess the agronomic efficacy of gneiss powder application in a controlled environment. A soil incubation experiment was conducted using two contrasting soil textures: sandy – Typic Quartzipsamment (TQ) and medium – Oxisol (Ox), following a randomized complete block design with four replications. The soils were incubated with varying doses of gneiss powder (0, 2.5, 5, 10, and 20 g kg−1) for 60 days, followed by the analysis of soil chemical attributes. Subsequently, four-pot experiments were conducted using the incubated soils (5 kg) to cultivate maize and beans, with four replications. During the flowering stage of the plants, dry biomass production and the accumulation of macronutrients and micronutrients were evaluated. The incubation test demonstrated that the applying gneiss powder increased the availability of phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and cation exchange capacity. Moreover, gneiss powder application mitigated soil acidity and aluminum saturation. Maize and bean plants cultivated in soils treated with gneiss powder exhibited enhanced accumulation of macro and micronutrients and increased dry biomass production. These findings highlight the potential of the evaluated gneiss powder as a viable option for nutritional management in crop cultivation.