Expanded Field Programme Targeting Manganese-Deficient Soil Types
Following successful results from its 2020 field trials, which used recycled alkaline battery material as a fertilizer micronutrient Envirostream Australia Pty Ltd, the recycling division of Lithium Australia NL (ASX: LIT) has commenced an expanded field trial programme for 2021 utilising recycled battery materials.
The company is collaborating with Summit Fertilisers, a leading fertiliser supplier established in 1989. Summit has provided access to three of its 2021 trial sites, two with wheat and one with lupins, to assess Envirostream products.
With a highly experienced area manager network and dedicated field research team, Summit aims to help its customers use nutrients that achieve the best outcomes.
The programme has been expanded to four sites in Western Australia (three Summit sites and one dedicated Envirostream site) and one dedicated Envirostream site in South Australia (SA), thereby permitting performance assessments of the recycled battery material across varying broadacre soil types. Envirostream’s micronutrients will again be agglomerated with mono-ammonium phosphate (MAP) fertiliser.
Lithium Australia Managing Director, Adrian Griffin, said that this year, the number of treatments at the two Envirostream trial sites has been expanded from five to nine. It is hoped that there will be a manganese uptake response similar to or better than that noted in the 2020 trial.
Both Envirostream trial sites will be seeded with wheat crops.
“Lithium Australia and its subsidiaries are committed to providing the battery industry with sustainable outcomes,” Mr Griffin said.
“The expansion of Envirostream’s successful fertiliser micronutrient programme into 2021 demonstrates this commitment and further positions Envirostream to support implementation of the national Battery Stewardship Scheme, to ensure that as many spent batteries as possible are recycled rather than consigned to landfill.”
