son
Remineralizationand
By SteveDiver
AppropriateTechnologyTransferfor Rural Areas
Remineralization
Remineralization canbe usedasa genericterm for any additionof rock mineralsto soils
No. l: Remineralization
asa meansto replenishmineralnutrientsandprovideagronomicbenefits. It recognizesthe fact that continuous
hanrestingof cropsremovesa certainamountof mineralsfrom the soil, andthat remineralizationcanprovide
essentialmineralelements- or help balancemineralnutrients,especiallytraceelementsandsecondarynutrients
like calciumandmagnesium.
block ofrock one foot squarecan be buried in the earthand the areaexposedto action ofsoil organic
ids will be six squarefeet. Now takethatblock andsliceit into slivers.001"in width. Now thereis a
of (two sides)x I 2,000 squarefeet = 24,000squarefeet. Thenslice eachsliver of one squarefoot into
of .001'andtherewillbe 2x24,000:'l2,0OOsquarefeetof area(1.75acre).Rockgroundtoair
particlesizeis smallerthan .001". Oneton of suchrock would provide 1,000,000squarefeet
acres)of chemicallyactivenutrients(Source:Reference No. l).
Rock dustsare saidto stimulatesoil microbial activity andto provide traceelementsand secondarynutrients-
including rare earthelementsthat are not recognizedasplant essentialelementsby conventionalagricultural
scientists. In fact, it is the finenessof grind and mixture of traceelementsthat are said to enhancemicrobial
activity;because:[1] finely groundrock powdershavea hugesurfacearea;and [2] face elementsfunction as
chemicalcatalyststhat microbesuseto manufactureand releasesoil enzymes.
One of the usesrock dusts,asan amendmentto composts,is of particular interestwith respectto enhancementof
microbialactivity andbioavailabilityof mineralelementscontainedin rock minerals. "Mineralizedcompost"is a
termusedin associationwith compostsamendedwith rock dustsandrock phosphates, to takeadvantageof this
microbialaction (solubilizationandmineralization).
The following helpful instructionson the useof rock dustsin compostswerefoundin the Spring1993issueof
RemineralizetheEarth, in an articleby GeorgeLeidig titled "Guidelinesfor Rock Dust Applicationin Compost
by the LuebkeMethod"(2):
AcresUSA Bookstore
P.O.Box 91299
Austin,Texas78709
st2-892-4400
512-892-4448 Fax
info@acresusa.com
htlpi','rvu:ur4grgsusa.q-o-It'a
HamakerWeaverPublications
P.O.Box 1961
Burlingame,CA 94010
4t5-347-9693
StoneAge Farming: Eco-Agricultureforthe 2lst Centuryby AlannaMoore isa2l3-page book availablefor $25
throughAcres USA. Ms. Alanna Moore is a masterdowserwho managesland in Australia, andher book reviews
a numberof the subtleenergytheoriessurroundingsoils and rock minerals,suchas: paramagnetism,Schumann
waves,and relatednaturally occurringenergyfields. In additiorusheaddressesa numberof techniquesthat
collectandbroadcastnaturalenergies,suchasradionicsand stonetowersandLakovskycoils. This is oneof the
betterall-roundbooksto haveon your bookshelffor a modemview of subtleenergyin agriculturefocusingon
soilsandrocks.
Remineralizethe Earth in a non-profit organizationthat promotesthe regenerationof soils and forestswith finely
groundgravel dust asan economicallyand ecologically sustainablealternativeto chemicalfertilizers and
pesticides.In the 1980sand 90s,Remineralizethe Earthpublisheda quarterlyjournal, andbackissuesare&n
excellentway to readup on farmer practicesand scientific research.Thoughit discontinuedits print journal, RE,
Inc maintainsa websitewith articlesfrom pastjournal issues,researchreports,andan electronicforum on soil
remineralization.RE,Inc. plansto developan onlinemagazine,a monthlydigital newsletter,anda research
database.
. Soil Remineralization:
Aglcu , 146pages.$17.00
. Sewigi Treatment,82 pages.$12.00
. re & Forestry/SewageStuage.$ZS.OO
For furtherinformation.contact:
RemineralizetheEarth
152SouthStreet
Northampton,MA 01060-4021
4r3-586-4429
Contact:JoannaCampe
ReminEarth@aol.com
htrp_.,i.Be_mtne,ral_i
zrlhc : Eafth-org
Someof the paftrmagneticrock dustson the market include productsmarketedby Cairn Tech andNothin' But
Rock. CGS-Paramagnetism, asmeasuredwith the PCSMMeter (seebelow),is the standardunit of measurement
the industry hasadapted.
The PCSM Meter providesa digital readout,usingthe standardunit of measurementof CGS, or Centimeter-
Grams-Seconds, whigh is the weight of paramagneticmaterialthat will move one centimeterto a magnetin one
second. Substances that canbe analyzedby this meterinclude rock dusts,humates,soils, minerals,Grtilizers, and
gthgrsagricultural amendments. The following table,Rangeof ParamagneticValues,wasprovidedby Dr.
Callahanat the 1995Acres,USA Conferencein St. Louis, Missouri.
The results:57.5o/o
of the plantsin treatedpotssurvived,whereasonly 15%of the un-treatedplantssurvive. The
researchersconcludedthat remoteplant stimulationby rock dustswarrantfurther investigation.
References:
4) Callahan,Phillip S. 1995.Paramagnetism:
Rediscovering
Nature'sSecretForceof Growth.
Acres,U.S.A.,Metairie,LA. 128p.
Suggested
Reading:
Anderson,
Arden.1992.Magneticsusceptibility.
Acres,U.S.A.November.p. I
Remineralizethe Earthcollection:
An OverviewandReadingList by JoannaC*pr;
A Brief PerspectiveOn Soil Remineralizaionandthe Climateby JohnHamaker,Don Weaver,Larry Ephronand
JoannaCampe;
RockDust ApplicationBrings Lwge Improvementto Vineyardin SolanoCounty,California"
by Bob Cannard.
http://www.ibiblio.ordlondon/orgfarm/remineralization/remineralization.selected-writines
How to ImproveTopsoil
By David Yarrow
http://danwinter.
com/yanow/soil,htm
Soil Remineralisation
By Philip CharlesMadeley
http://www.geocities.com/FlotSprings/Sauna/1432lSoilRemineralisationl.htm
Anon. 1995. "Tornado"grain mill turnsrocksinto powder. FarmShow. Vol. 19,No. 5. p. 28.
Gould,Ron. 1991. Mix rock powderswith compostfor fastermineralassimilation.In GoodTilth. July. p. 13,
16 .
Further Reading:
CopernicSearchResults:Paramagnetic
hupllnqa[art-ualk-edd-sleyed/ss:pa$0ag!_eJis,hlml
CopernicSearchResults:Paramagnetic
andParamagnetism
httplneatark. uark.edt/- steved
ORMUS,What is it?
htp :lwww. subtleenergie
Re: Buckwheatandbiofumigation(andphosphorussolubilization)
SteveDiver (steved@ncatark.
uark.edu)
Fri, 11Sep199809:58:59+0000
SANET Web Archives
http://wwwsare.org/htdocyhypermaiVb 2S%2Dhtml/009_l.html
Further Reading:
Coleman,Eliot. No date.The Useof GroundRock Powdersin Agriculture,a Surveyof the Literatureon Granites
Feldspars,Micas,andBasalts.SmallFarmResearchAssociation,Harborside,MB.22 p.
Th€ ATTRA Projcct is operatcd by the National Center for Appropriate Technology under a grant fiom the Rural Business-Coopcrative Servicc, U.S. Dcpartment ofAgriculture.
Tlrcse organizations do not rccommend or endorsc products, companies, or individuals.
This documentwas developedby ATTRA (AppropriateTechnologyTransferFor Rural Areas),a project of the National
Centerfor AppropriateTechnology,P.O.Box 3657,Fayetteville,Arkansas72702,Tel: 800-346-9140,
Website:
http://www.attia.ore