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Evaluation of Natural Rock Powder as a Potassium Source for Onion (Allium cepa L.) Cultivation
Summary
Scientists tested whether crushed natural rock could replace synthetic potassium fertilizer for growing onions—a more eco-friendly option since mining and processing chemical fertilizers takes a heavy environmental toll. Onions grew just as big either way, but the rock powder released potassium into the plants more slowly, meaning farmers would need better methods (like grinding it finer or applying it differently) to make this sustainable alternative work as well as traditional fertilizer. This matters for consumers because it's part of ongoing efforts to make food production greener without sacrificing crop quality or yield.
This study was conducted to evaluate the potential of natural rock powder (NRP), derived from potassium (K) feldspar, as an eco-friendly K fertilizer for onion (Allium cepa L.) cultivation under vinyl mulching conditions.The experimental design included a mineral fertilizer control and various NRP treatments (standard rate, double rate, micro-particles, and foliar application).The results showed no significant differences in onion fresh weight or bulb diameter across all treatments, suggesting that NRP can support basic crop growth.However, the K content in plant tissues was lower in NRP-treated plots compared to the control, with significant reductions observed in the NRP-2 and NRP-MP groups.This lower K uptake is attributed to the low solubility of NRP and its tendency to remain on the mulch surface during top-dressing, which limits nutrient penetration into the soil.Lab-scale elution tests confirmed that the control released approximately twice as much cumulative K as the NRP treatments, although Si release was comparable due to the mineral composition of the raw material.While NRP shows promise as a sustainable K source, enhancing its solubility through formulation improvements or specialized application methods is essential to optimize its efficacy in plastic-mulched cropping systems.