Enhanced rock weathering in grassland: Impacts of basalt dust on hay meadow soil, forage, and floristic diversity.
Bell DS, Epihov DZ, Dupla X, Beerling DJ, Leake JR
Soil Health
Spreading crushed rock on hay meadows could let farmers sequester carbon and grow better forage without flattening the wildflower tapestry that feeds bees, butterflies, and the whole meadow food web.
Scientists tested what happens when you spread a thick layer of crushed volcanic rock (basalt) over traditional hay meadows. They found it helped lock away carbon dioxide, improved the soil, and boosted the nutritional quality of the grass and herbs farmers cut for hay. Crucially, the rich mix of wildflowers that makes these old meadows so special was not damaged by the treatment.
Key Findings
Applying 50 tonnes per hectare of basalt dust to hay meadows enhanced carbon dioxide removal through accelerated rock weathering without reducing floristic diversity.
Basalt dust application improved soil chemistry and increased the nutrient content and quality of harvested forage.
Permanent hay meadows can serve as viable sites for enhanced rock weathering, expanding CDR options beyond arable cropland.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Spreading crushed basalt rock dust on hay meadows can pull carbon dioxide from the atmosphere while also improving soil health and forage quality — and this study found it did not harm the wildflower diversity that makes these grasslands ecologically valuable.
Abstract Preview
Enhanced rock weathering (ERW) is a promising carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technique with agricultural co-benefits, though its efficacy in grasslands remains largely unexplored. Permanent grassland...
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