Diatomite - loose or cemented siliceous deposits, sedimentary rock of white, light gray or yellowish color, consisting of more than 50% of diatom shells. Diatomites are marine, less often freshwater (lake) origin. They contain 70-98% silica, have high porosity, low bulk density, good adsorption and thermal insulation properties. They are used in metallurgy, construction and other industries.
Scientists of the Ural State Agrarian University are conducting scientific research on the effectiveness of using diatomite as a fertilizer for crops, a sorbent in case of soil contamination with heavy metals, as well as a feed additive in animal husbandry and poultry farming. official website of the Ural State Agrarian University.
USAU Vice-Rector for Research and Innovation, Head of the Department of Vegetable and Fruit Growing Mikhail Karpukhin shared the results of several production experiments on the use of diatomite in the cultivation of potatoes and vegetables in open ground.
According to the conclusion of the scientist, there was an increase in yield and improvement in the presentation of potatoes and white cabbage. In addition, a reduced content of nitrates in the products was noted.
“With an increase in the dose of diatomite, there was a tendency to increase the large fraction of tubers. It should be noted that the content of nitrates in tubers ranged from 34 to 52 mg/kg and was lower in the experimental variants compared to the control by 16-18 mg/kg, due to the good adsorption capacity of the diatomite used. ТThus, with the use of diatomite, there has been a tendency to increase the content of dry matter and starch, as well as to reduce the accumulation of nitrates in potato tubers. The same was noted with white cabbage. We not only studied the effect of diatomites on the yield, presentation and keeping quality of potatoes and vegetables, but also developed scientific recommendations on the most optimal application rates”, Mikhail Karpukhin summed up.
Ural scientists are going to conduct a number of scientific studies in the field of diatomite application in the agro-industrial complex. In particular, there are plans to develop an organomineral fertilizer for the cultivation of crops.