Impact of compost amendments and Morus alba L. on soil restoration, microbial communities, and crop yield in rare-earth tailings.
Hu J, Ou X, Chen R, Zhang J, Lian H
Phytoremediation
The same pairing of compost and deep-rooted trees that rescued stripped mine land in four years is something backyard gardeners can scale down to reclaim compacted, acidic, or depleted soil in their own beds.
Rare-earth mines leave behind soil that's too acidic and stripped of nutrients for almost anything to grow. Scientists planted white mulberry trees and added two types of compost — one made with worms, one from biogas waste — and after four years the soil had transformed: less acidic, far richer in organic matter, teeming with beneficial microbes, and actually able to support crops again. The big takeaway is that the right plants combined with the right organic amendments can bring even severely damaged land back to life.
Key Findings
Vermicompost combined with biogas slurry raised soil pH from 4.37 to 6.67 — shifting it from strongly acidic to near-neutral over four years.
Soil organic matter increased more than sixfold, from 4.87 to 30.58 g·kg⁻¹, under the organic amendment treatments.
The combination of white mulberry phytoremediation and organic fertilizers improved soil enzyme activity, microbial community diversity, and measurable crop yield compared to chemical fertilizer controls.
chevron_right Technical Summary
A 4-year study found that planting white mulberry trees alongside organic compost (vermicompost and biogas slurry) dramatically rehabilitated the toxic, acidic soils left behind by rare-earth mines — raising pH from dangerously acidic to near-neutral and increasing organic matter more than sixfold while improving crop yields and soil microbial life.
Abstract Preview
Rare-earth mines worldwide urgently need sustainable, low-cost methods to restore soil quality and productivity. The application of remediation plants, such as Morus alba, combined with organic fer...
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Morus alba, known as white mulberry, common mulberry and silkworm mulberry, is a fast-growing, small to medium-sized mulberry tree which grows to 10–20 m (33–66 ft) tall. It is native to China and is widely cultivated and naturalized elsewhere. The species is widely cultivated to feed the silkwor...