Quality Magnetite Products Ideal for Agricultural Applications

Research shows iron oxide particles play a key role in improving crop yield and quality

Iron-rich compounds have long been a key component of successful agricultural development, and now, magnetite is leading the way to improved crop yields as farmers reduce — and even eliminate — harmful pesticide residues. As a leader in the magnetite industry, Quality Magnetite is a reliable source for high-quality ferro-particles for use in agricultural products across a host of crops.

The National Institutes of Health recently revealed that researchers in China have demonstrated iron oxide (Fe304) improves the availability of iron to peanut plants, reducing the need for additional fertilizers, which typically leach out of the sandy soils in which the plants thrive. Quality Magnetite is skilled at producing the kinds of iron-rich compounds farmers need to reduce pesticide and fertilizer use while enhancing crop yields.

Here are a couple of areas in which researchers are exploring the use of magnetic nanoparticles in agriculture.

Iron may speed the degradation of old, dangerous pesticides

The pesticide DDT has long been banned for use on agricultural products. Yet, decades later, residues of the chemical linger in soils. Writing in the journal Chemosphere, scientists noted that iron oxide shows a remarkable tendency to speed the breakdown of DDT.

Over time, the iron aids in breaking down the chemical and spiriting it away, restoring the soil to healthy and productive use. When coupled with other soil quality remediation techniques, iron can restore contaminated farm lands faster than other natural means, all without harming vital water sources.

Magnetite shown to improve soybean yields

Soybeans represent a $35 billion slice of the American agriculture industry, and production of this vital staple food has increased 15-fold since the 1950s. Recent research explored the effects of adding small amounts of magnetite nanoparticles to soils during the production of this important plant.

“It seems that the use of iron particles causes increasing pod and dry leaf weight and finally will increase total yield,” writes the lead scientist in the study, which was published in 2010 in Notulae Scientia Biologicae, an international journal of science.

As further research on these and other exciting findings continues, the use for magnetite in agriculture and soil remediation will continue to grow.

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