Volcanic rock dust therapy for soil
400% increase in rice yields in Malaysia with rock dust plus soil micro-organisms
“Volcanic rock dust therapy for soil”, an article in the business section of The Star Online, reports that volcanic rock dust combined with a bacterial based soil conditioner may soon become indispensable in the Malaysian agricultural sector. Robert W. Taylor, chairman of MRD Inc. (M) Sdn Bhd, is doing trials with the Agriculture Department and they have tried it out with rice fields, pineapple farms, and banana orchards with good results.
“Volcanic rock dust is already being used in other countries such as the (western) United States, Australia and South Korea and the results have been good,” Taylor says. “There has been no downside to using the volcanic rock dust, and it is 50% cheaper than phosphate, which is dependent on oil prices…the results speak for themselves. The yield (for rice) that was produced in Kedah was four times more in the first season than previously.”