Zeolite Soil Conditioning

Retain nutrients, immobilize toxins, buffer pH and improve soil health.

Continue

Regulate Nutrients

Zeolite helps regulate the release of nutrients to the soil.  Nutrients are retained in the growth zone and are plant accessible but not water-soluble. The availability of nutrients improves the overall performance of roots and plant growth. Zeolite improves soil structure by pairing cation exchange capacity with an affinity for ammonia and potassium. These properties allow zeolite to improve the health of soil and waterways.

Improve Nutrient Retention

Unlike soil amendments such as lime, zeolite does not break down over time. Instead, it remains in the soil to improve nutrient retention. In agriculture and horticulture, zeolite is used as a slow-releasing carrier of fertilizers and agrochemicals like insecticides, pesticides, and growth stimulators. The mineral is particularly useful for recultivation, increasing the nitrogen balance in light and sandy soil, and increasing the production capacity of acid in devastated soils.

Reduce Soil Compaction

Zeolite also helps reduce soil compaction and works to increase infiltration, both of which promote aeration of deep root systems due. This process is made possible by the mineral’s high surface area and porosity.

Reduce fertilizer requirements

Because of its superior absorption and adsorption properties, zeolite reduces water and fertilizer costs by retaining beneficial nutrients and moisture in the root zone. The porous structure of the mineral promotes active soil that remains aerated and moist over time. Because zeolite is not acidic, its use alongside fertilizers can buffer soil pH levels, which reduces the need for lime applications. Due to these properties, zeolite is beneficial both in terms of economic and environmental factors.

Research

One study by Rehakova tested the impact of zeolitic fertilizer on grasses and forest trees. The results indicated that the biomass of grass increased from 5.9 to 8.8 t/ha (metric tons per hectare) – an increase of 49 percent. Researchers also found that zeolite fertilizer “led to an increase of the share of grasses and decrease of weeds." During the second phase of the study, researchers fertilized pine and beech saplings with zeolite and measured trunk thickness and height at the end of the vegetation period. Results indicated that zeolite fertilizer permitted saplings to withstand replanting shock and begin the decisive three-year period at a faster rate than saplings not fertilized with zeolite.

A second study by Rehakova examined the effect of zeolite in soils that are heavily contaminated with heavy metals and toxic compounds. Through ion exchange of heavy metals and sorption of toxic substances, zeolite blocked toxins from vegetation and root systems in the surrounding environment.


References

Agricultural and agrochemical uses of natural zeolite of the clinoptilolite type - M. Reha ́kova, et al.

Zeolites: Potential soil amendments for improving nutrient and water use efficiency and agriculture productivity - Vijay Jakkula, et al.

Effect of the Particle Size of Clinoptilolite Zeolite on Water Content and Soil Water Storage in a Loamy Sand Soil - Hesham M. Ibrahim, et al.

Clinoptilolite Zeolite on Tropical Peat Soils Nutrient, Growth, Fruit Quality, and Yield of Carica papaya L. cv. Sekaki - Liza Nuriati Lim Kim Choo, et al.