Sea Minerals Reduce Dysbiosis, Improve Pasture Productivity and Plant Morphometrics in Pasture Dieback Affected Soils

Maria M. Whitton, Xipeng Ren, Sung J. Yu, Andrew D. Irving, Tieneke Trotter, Yadav S. Bajagai and Dragana Stanley ()
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Maria M. Whitton: Institute for Future Farming Systems, Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, QLD 4702, Australia
Xipeng Ren: Institute for Future Farming Systems, Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, QLD 4702, Australia
Sung J. Yu: Institute for Future Farming Systems, Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, QLD 4702, Australia
Andrew D. Irving: Coastal Marine Ecosystems Research Centre, Central Queensland University, Gladstone, QLD 4680, Australia
Tieneke Trotter: Institute for Future Farming Systems, Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, QLD 4702, Australia
Yadav S. Bajagai: Institute for Future Farming Systems, Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, QLD 4702, Australia
Dragana Stanley: Institute for Future Farming Systems, Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, QLD 4702, Australia

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 22, 1-18

Abstract: Pasture dieback (PD) is a grassland deteriorating syndrome resulting in grass loss and weed expansion in Australian pastures, with current estimates indicating that over four million hectares are affected. PD creates financial losses to the industry by reducing animal carrying capacity and producing poor-quality feed, resulting in diminished productivity. After more than a decade since PD first appeared in Australia, the causes and effective treatments are still unknown. Suggested causes include soil microbiota dysbiosis, pathogens, insects, climate change and overuse of chemical fertilisers. Sea minerals have been suggested as capable of improving plants’ yield, quality, taste, and nutritional value, but were never brought into conventional practice as an alternative to chemical fertilisers. Here, we investigated the capacity of sea minerals to improve grass health and yield of PD-affected soil. The replicate plots were treated with water or with 4 mL/m 2 of commercially available sea mineral product to investigate the soil chemistry profile, plant morphometrics, pasture productivity, soil microbiota profile, and microbiota-nutrient interactions. Sea mineral application significantly increased total dry matter 20 weeks after a single application, translating to an additional 967 kg/ha; this benefit was still present at 498 kg/ha eleven months post a single application. Sea mineral application improved soil microbiota by boosting beneficial taxa while reducing genera associated with arid and toxic soils. Additionally, sea mineral application increased the number of grassroots up to eleven months post a single application. Our data suggest the benefits of sea mineral application to damaged, unproductive or exhausted soils could be further explored as a natural, affordable, and non-toxic alternative to chemical fertilisers.

Keywords: pasture; sustainability; sea minerals; grass; dieback; soil; microbiota (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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