Frequently Asked Questions - Canadian Wollastonite

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1. What is wollastonite?

Wollastonite is a mineral-rich silicate rock. Canadian farmers are spreading wollastonite on their land due to its ability to stabilise soil pH, improve nutrient availability, and enhance crop resilience. It provides calcium, silicon, magnesium, and potassium, which help strengthen crops, improve drought resistance, and reduce reliance on costly lime inputs.

2. What are the benefits of applying crushed wollastonite?

As the rock breaks down, it improves soil pH, nutrient availability, crop resilience and soil structure, making wollastonite a practical, cost-effective choice for long-term farm productivity.

Better Soil, Less Lime: Wollastonite has a liming effect, raising and stabilising soil pH. By gradually releasing alkalinity, it keeps soil conditions optimal for longer, maximizing the effectiveness of other fertilizers and inputs while reducing the need for frequent liming.

Strengthens Crops and Boosts Yield: Applying wollastonite to farmland delivers essential nutrients, which contribute to overall plant health. These minerals improve root growth, making crops more resilient to drought and stress while enhancing the effectiveness of fertilisers. Over time, farmers see stronger crops with better nutrient uptake and higher yields.

Natural Pest and Disease Resistance: Silicon plays a crucial role in plant defence, strengthening cell walls and improving resistance to pests and diseases. Crops grown in silicon-enriched soils are better able to withstand environmental stressors while naturally attracting beneficial predators that help control pest populations. Field trials have shown that silicate rock applications can slow the spread of fungal diseases, such as powdery mildew, reducing the need for chemical treatments.

Increases Profitability and Efficiency: One application of crushed wollastonite can last up to three years, reducing the need for repeated inputs and lowering overall farm costs. Improving nutrient availability and soil health decreases reliance on synthetic fertilisers, pesticides, and lime. Research trials have demonstrated increased yields in crops like wheat and pastureland.

3. How long does it take to see results?

Some benefits, like improved soil structure and pH stabilisation, begin within the first season. Others, such as increased crop resilience and long-term nutrient release, continue developing over multiple growing cycles.

4. How is wollastonite different from lime?

Lime provides a quick pH adjustment, but its effects wear off quickly, requiring frequent applications. Wollastonite stabilises pH for longer while also releasing key nutrients like calcium, magnesium, and silicon, improving soil health over time.

5. Does it work for all soil types?

Wollastonite is most effective in moderately acidic to neutral soils but can provide benefits in a range of conditions. A soil test can help determine how it will work best for your farm.

We are partnering with farmers who have a pH of 6-7 to maximise the benefits for farmers and carbon removal for our planet.

6. Which crops benefit the most?

A wide range of crops, including cereals, legumes, forage grasses, and root vegetables, see improvements in root strength, nutrient uptake, and resilience to stress. The benefits vary depending on soil conditions and crop type.

7. How much does it cost?

We cover the cost of supplying and spreading the rock. We simply ask the farmer to pay for trucking which is calculated based on the location of your farm. On average, this trucking contribution equates to approximately ¼ of the cost of paying for lime.

8. How is the rock applied?

It is spread using standard lime-spreading equipment, making it easy to integrate into existing farm operations.

Application rates vary by farm – our team will provide guidance based on your soil needs. Typically we spread 2–4 tonnes per hectare.

9. When can you spread on my farm?

We follow the Canadian spreading season, with peak operations in the Spring, Summer and Fall. We spread before or after harvest to ensure whole, healthy, and intact crops.

10. Is it certified for use in organic farming systems?

Our wollastonite is suitable for all crops, including pasture, and has been approved for use in organic farming systems by respected certification bodies such as OMRI.

11. What is enhanced rock weathering?

Enhanced rock weathering (ERW) is the acceleration of rock weathering, a natural process that already accounts for the removal of 1 billion tonnes of CO₂ from the atmosphere every year. As rain falls through the atmosphere, it combines with CO₂ to form carbonic acid. When this dilute acid falls on the land, the CO₂ interacts with rocks and soil, mineralises and is safely stored in solid carbonate form.

By spreading crushed wollastonite on local Canadian farmland, the reactive surface area is increased and carbon is captured dramatically faster than in the natural world, locking away CO₂ for 100,000+ years.

ERW has the potential to lock away up to 4 billion tonnes of CO₂ per year – 40% of global targets – and Canada is leading the charge. Proven in lab and field experiments at universities around the world, ERW is a low-tech, shovel-ready solution that can make agriculture part of the solution to climate change.

This natural process supports soil fertility and crop yield, making it a win-win for farmers and the environment. Join us on our mission to remove 1 million tonnes of atmospheric CO₂ and help keep our planet fit for future generations.

12. Why does UNDO work with farmers?

Alongside our partner Canadian Wollastonite, UNDO works with local communities to spread crushed rock on agricultural land, helping improve soil health while naturally capturing and storing carbon.

We work with farmers as partners, not as customers. Unlike a traditional input supplier, UNDO doesn’t sell silicate rock by the bag but we make it available through our farmer programme.

Programme members get access to rock at minimal cost and receive soil testing for free, while UNDO manages the carbon removal process in the background. By working together, we’re scaling a proven soil improvement strategy while contributing to global climate goals.

Our Green Jobs Pathway brings green jobs to rural communities increasingly feeling the negative impacts of climate change. We’re not importing machines and talent. We’re importing the ability for local people to do carbon removal in their community.

13. Can I arrange my own spreading?

The majority of spreading is undertaken through preapproved contractors. This enables robust data collection of the highest integrity so that we can accurately calculate our LCA and the amount of carbon removed.

14. How can you offer this for free?

The program is funded by the sale of carbon removal credits. By spreading wollastonite on farmland, we capture and store CO₂ from the atmosphere. Our farmers enjoy the soil and crop benefits, while the resulting carbon credits are sold on the voluntary market to fund this initiative and scale our global operations.

15. I just spread lime, can I also apply wollastonite?

To maximise the carbon removal potential of our operations, we’re seeking fields with a pH range of 6-7. Once the lime has brought the pH of your soil up to > pH 6, we can look to spread wollastonite on your land. Get in touch with the team today and we’ll check the eligibility of your farm.

16. I am outside the 250km range what are my options?

To minimise trucking distances and keep our operations as carbon-efficient as possible, we aim to spread within a 250km range of Canadian Wollastonite in Seeley’s Bay. However, there may be occasions where we can extend beyond this range so do get in touch with the team.

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Application Rates & Considerations

How Wollastonite Works

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Now available in Eastern Ontario Free wollastonite

Canadian Wollastonite & UNDO

In partnership with UNDO, Canadian Wollastonite provides and spreads wollastonite on fields across Eastern Ontario creating jobs, supporting rural areas, and ensuring local farms benefit from this unique carbon capture program.

Wollastonite naturally captures and stores atmospheric carbon dioxide through Enhanced Rock Weathering as it reacts with environmental conditions—a scientifically proven method that makes farming part of climate action. Carbon credit revenue funds the program, covering the cost of spreading and the wollastonite. Participating farms pay for the cost of trucking.

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