Glauconite: An Indigenous and Alternative Source of Potassium Fertilizer for Sustainable Agriculture

Abstract

Potassium (K) is regarded as a key player in plant growth. It has a significant role in crop productivity as one of the major nutrients. Thus, the addition of K fertilizers has supreme importance in supplying K to the plant requirement. Present K demand is satisfying by highly soluble and concentrated mineral salts; when those salts suddenly introduced into environments, naturally established ecological diversity may become disrupted, ultimately soil fertility is deteriorated. Glauconite is a natural and abundant mineral rich in K which can be used as a K fertilizer source for benefiting the agriculture sector. India has the largest deposition of an indigenous glauconitic sandstone which could offer a cheap and locally derived source of slow-releasing K fertilizer. Usage of glauconite in farming replaces K fertilizers, viable in terms of economic and environmental perspectives, aids in the provision of additional nutrients along with K, nourishes soil health, and helps in achieving sustainability in agro-ecosystem.