With the recent approval of small-scale outdoor Cannabis production in Canada, growers will be looking for premium fertilizer and soil amendment products. The yield and disease tolerance benefits of plant-available silicon have been shown across a wide range of crop types. Wollastonite is a proven low cost and easy to apply source of silicon and […]
We are proud to announce a new research partnership with the University of Guelph to evaluate the potential of Canadian Wollastonite to sequester carbon dioxide into Ontario soils. Applying wollastonite to agricultural soils shows strong potential as a shovel-ready solution to remove carbon from the atmosphere. Recent scientific studies suggest that when calcium silicate (wollastonite) […]
This research evaluates the effects of naturally occurring enzymes and specialized human-made compounds on the breakdown of wollastonite to improve the efficiency of carbon sequestration from the atmosphere. In summary, the findings suggest that metal-organic frameworks (MOF) are more effective than naturally occurring enzymes for enhancing carbon sequestration from wollastonite. In case you wanted to […]
Wollastonite is good for plants: Summary of current research on silicon and  wollastonite by expert Joseph Heckman Excerpt: Wollastonite: A Good Choice for Delivering Silicon “Research conducted on New Jersey soils compared various fertilizer sources for plant-available silicon and powdery mildew suppression using pumpkin as a test crop. The most effective material for supplying plant-available Si […]
Surface application of limestone and calcium-magnesium silicate in a tropical no-tillage system Research paper summary Although lime is currently the most commonly applied material for soil acidity correction in Brazil, calcium- magnesium silicate application may efficiently replace this source due to its higher solubility and silicon supply, which is beneficial for plant development. This study […]
Canadian Wollastonite is a partner in this project lead by Emily Chiang in the School of Environment at the University of Guelph. The potential of Canadian Wollastonite to have a positive impact on our environment and improve agricultural crop quality is fascinating and we look forward to supporting this research as it moves forward. Carbon-sequestering […]
Last month, we discussed the role of wollastonite in managing phosphorus.
That prompted some Ontario residents to begin experimenting with adding wollastonite to pond water. With the recent heat and drought across much of the province, ponds and small bodies of water on farms, golf courses, and rural properties are especially subject to excessive algal growth – an unpleasant and unhealthy condition, as these photos demonstrate.
In the summers of 2014 and 2015, massive algal blooms in Lake Erie made headlines across North America, particularly in 2014 when toxins produced by microcysts in the blue-green algae shut down Toledo’s water works, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without access to safe drinking water. The problem affects lake and rivers across the continent, threatening […]
Interest in the role of silicon in crop production and protection has been growing around the world for several years now. Some might say that North America is a bit behind the curve! We recently came across a comprehensive article from 2010 on the website of an Australian agricultural consulting company. It begins: A major mineral […]
Last summer, an interesting thing happened on a field of turf north of Toronto. The grower was testing a new soil amendment as a source of calcium, magnesium, and plant-available silicon. Research indicated it could lead to healthier, more disease-resistant grass. Sure enough, the grass on the test area grew better –  so much better […]
