Attapulgite (ATP), as a fertilizer slow-release agent and soil conditioner, has shown remarkable effect in improving the utilization rate of fertilizer and the yield and quality of agricultural products and Chinese medicinal materials. This study aims to explore the effect of ATP on the growth and root quality of Angelica sinensis. .... The results showed that ATP, via the fertilizer slow-release effect, could meet the needs of A. sinensis for nutrients at the root expansion stage, improve the net photosynthetic rate of leaves and aboveground biomass of plants, and promote the transfer and accumulation of nutrients from the aboveground part(source) to the underground root(sink) in advance during the dry matter accumulation period of roots, so as to improve the root weight per plant....
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ATP had certain influence on soil respiration, which needs to be further explored from root activity, rhizosphere microorganisms, and soil microorganisms. This study can lay a basis for soil remediation and improvement and ecological cultivation of A. sinensis.
The clay attapulgite, also known as palygorskite, is a natural nonmetal clay mineral (Fig. 1). It has a fibrous reticular structure with many nanoscale channels giving it unique physical and chemical properties, such as a large specific surface area, adsorption, suspension, slow releasing, disper- sion, ion-exchanging, water adsorption and retention, and low specific gravity (2.0 – 2.3 g cm − 3 ). Attapulgite is sticky and plastic when wet and when drying shows little shrinkage (Murray ; Ye et al. ). Attapulgite contains a small amount of elements including Si, Al, Mg, Fe, K, Ca, and Mn and so is expected to be a source of many microelements (Xie et al. ). Studies have shown that attapulgite combined with compound fertilizer increases crop yields (Yang et al. ). Attapulgite has rich reserves, low price, and is environmentally friendly and so is believed to be the most feasible coating material for slow-release compound fertilizers. The use of coated, compound fertilizers in accordance with the nutrient demands of crop plants at different growth stages can ensure the crop has sufficient amounts of nutrients throughout its whole growth stage. This would greatly improve crop yield, reduce the waste of fertilizers, and lower production costs. Maize ( Zea mays L.) is a crop requiring a large amount of fertilizer to meet the needs of plant growth. In the present study, we prepared attapulgite-coated fertilizers (ACF) by dividing chemical fertilizers into three applications according to the nutrient demands of maize plants in different growth stages, with each part of the fertilizer coated with a layer of attapulgite. Our objective was to determine (1) whether the ACF had a slow-release effect and (2) its impact on crop yield and fertilizer use efficiency in maize. We hypothesized that ACF would significantly improve maize production because their slow release would meet the nutrient demand of maize during the whole growing ...
Fertilizers are the major input in production of grain crops, but in many cases, the amounts of fertilizers applied to crops exceed the requirements of crop growth. Excessive use of N fertilizers leads to losses through leaching, volatilization, and denitrification. The majority of soils in China ’ s semiarid rain- fed agricultural areas are alkaline and calcareous (Zhang et al. ). When N fertilizers are applied to calcareous soils, there is inevitable ammonia volatilization, with N 2 O produced in the nitrification – denitrification processes contributing to global climate change. However, in irrigated areas, N fertilizers, when converted into nitrate or ammonium, often move below the root zone and cannot be absorbed by crop roots (Miao et al. ).
The invention belongs to the technical field of a fertilizer, and concretely relates to an attapulgite mixing fertilizer having slow release effect, the attapulgite mixing fertilizer is prepared by using attapulgite ore. The attapulgite can use own surface activity, adsorptivity, catalysis performance, filtering effect, ion exchange effect, complexation effect and electrostatic interaction, a soil pH value can be adjusted by two items, and attapulgite can provides appropriate growth environment for crops. The attapulgite can change physical and chemical properties of the soil, reduces soil unit weight, promotes formation of a soil gel state, enhances soil permeability, absorbs harmful heavy metals in the soil, and inhibits insect disease; beneficial elements in the soil can be converted through chelating effect, nutrition balance is reached, crops growth is cooperated, output is increased, and agricultural product quality is improved.
Use inorganic fertilizer in a large number unreasonably for a long time, destroy agricultural land soil structure gradually, change the physico-chemical property of soil, cause soil compaction and degeneration, the effect of increasing production of chemical fertilizer is more and more not obvious, thus cause the yield and quality of farm crop to decline, xenobiotic pollutants can enter animal and human's body by the circulation of water body, air and food chain, thus the health of harm people and animals, cause cancer or chronic disease etc.
The present study investigated the effects of attapulgite supplementation in sow diets during gestation and lactation on sow performance. The study comprised two reproductive phases (cycles) in two commercial farrow to finish farms: Farm A (capacity: 550 sows) and Farm B (capacity: 220 sows). The treatment groups were: a) control group (CN): the sows were fed a common gestation or lactation diet; b) attapulgite group (AT): the sows were fed the CN diet supplemented with attapulgite at 0,7% level; c) attapulgite plus group (AT+): the sows were fed the CN diet supplemented with attapulgite (0.7%) and a mix of enzymes, live yeast and amino acids (0.1%), at a total of 0.8% level... Regarding sow parameters, sow body weight loss during lactation tended to be greater in AT sows compared to CN sows during cycle 1 in Farm B and was greater in AT and AT+ than CN sows in Farm A that completed both cycles (P=0.063 and P=0.023, respectively). A greater litter size 24h postpartum was observed in favour of AT compared to CN group during cycle 1 in Farm A and in sows that completed both cycles in Farm A (P=0.001 and P= 0.011, respectively). Litter size at weaning was greater in sows from the AT group than CN during cycle 1 and 2 in Farm A, in cycle 1 in Farm B and in sows that completed both cycles in Farm A (P=0.004, P=0.037, P=0.037, and P=0.022, respectively). Piglet weight at weaning and average daily gain during lactation were greater in AT group than CN and AT+ in sows that completed both cycles in Farm A (P=0.049 and P=0.040 respectively). Notable similar effects, although not statistically significant, were also observed in Farm B. This field study suggests that attapulgite supplementation in sow diets can improve performance indexes.
Anoxic filtration is a system that has been developed and trialled over many years by Dr. Kevin Novac Ph.D. Water clarity in pictures of ponds that are using it is amazing. Not only will this system remove ammonia directly from pond water before it can be turned into nitrate, but it also has areas where friendly facultative bugs can live and remove any nitrate that has been produced by nitrogen cycle bugs elsewhere in the pond. The basis of the system is a 24 inch-deep pond, full of what are called Biocenosis Baskets. These baskets are nothing more complicated than a planting basket full of Kitty Litter [Attapulgite clay] with a volcanic material called Laterite poured into a depression in the centre. Some of the baskets must be planted, but all baskets may be planted, according to taste. Dr. Novak is an American, and Kitty Litter is a common American brand name. In the UK, an equivalent is Fuller’s Earth.
Pollution from heavy-metal ions has become a major challenge to the global fight against environmental pollution. Given the availability of various low-cost and environmentally friendly adsorbents, adsorption has become the most efficient technology for the removal of heavy metals from water. In this study, attapulgite (ATP) was directly functionalized by coupling with an aminosilane agent. Analysis showed this maneuver provided a suitable adsorbent for the removal of lead ion (Pb2+) from an aqueous solution. The effects of several parameters including solution pH, contacting time, adsorbent dosage, and initial Pb2+ ion concentration were investigated. Batch sorption results showed that the adsorption process was rapid and over 98% of Pb2+ was removed within 30 min at the optimal pH 4.0. The maximum adsorption capacity at 25°C, calculated by the Langmuir isotherm, was 82.17, 78.80, 61.13, and 28.56 mg/g for γ-divinyltriaminepropyl-methyldimethoxylsilane-grafted attapulgite (KH-103-ATP), γ-aminopropyl-methyldiethoxysilane-grafted attapulgite (KH-912-ATP), N-(β-aminoethyl-γ-aminopropyl)-methyl-dimethoxysilane-grafted attapulgite (KH-602-ATP), and ATP, respectively. Moreover, molecular dynamics simulations of adsorption behaviors of heavy-metal ions at attapulgite surfaces (010) modified by aminosilane agents were carried out. Both the PMF value and diffusion coefficient of metal ions suggest that KH-103-ATP owns the highest rate constant and capacity compared with the other two. And the analysis of free energy and results of XPS characterization revealed that Pb2+ formed covalent bonds with the nitrogen atom of aminosilane agents.
Heavy-metal contamination is widespread in agricultural soils worldwide, especially paddy soils contaminated by Cd. Amendment-induced immobilization of heavy metals is an attractive and effective technique, provided that cost-effective materials are used. This field experiment compared three alkaline passivators (attapulgite, processed oyster shell powder, and mixed soil conditioner) at a rate of 2.25 t ha-1 for their effectiveness in decreasing Cd bioavailability in soils and accumulation in rice plants in a paddy field contaminated by Cd (0.38 Cd mg kg-1). The utilization of attapulgite and processed oyster shell powder decreased labile fractions but increased stable fractions of Cd in soils through ion exchange, precipitation and complexation. The addition of attapulgite decreased the concentration of bioavailable Cd in both bulk and rhizosphere soils, whereas the amendment of processed oyster shell powder decreased it only in bulk soil. The Cd accumulation in rice plants correlated significantly with acid-soluble and residual Cd fractions in the rhizosphere soil but not in the bulk soil. The addition of attapulgite and processed oyster shell powder decreased Cd accumulation in rice grains from 0.26 mg kg-1 to 0.14 and 0.19 mg kg-1, respectively, meeting the National Food Safety Standard (< 0.20 mg kg-1). However, the mixed soil conditioner did not decrease the Cd accumulation in rice shoots or grains. This study demonstrated that attapulgite and processed oyster shell powder were economic agents in reducing Cd accumulation in rice grains.
As most pesticides are either insoluble or only slightly soluble in water and must be applied in relatively small amounts over large areas, they are formulated in such a way that a highly concentrated organic chemical can be put into a convenient-to-use and effective form for field use by blending it with additives and inert carriers. The formulation must be easy and economical to use, do the job it is meant for, have an adequate shelf-life, and have no undesirable side effects.....
In nearly 300,000 tons of various clays were delivered to pesticide manufacturers in the United States alone for use in pesticide formulations (U.S. Department of Agriculture ). Of this amount, over 65% was attapulgite. The predominance of attapulgite in the formulation of pesticides in preference to more common clay minerals such as kaolinite and montmorillonite stems from the fact that it is not easily flocculated by electrolytes and does not cake at high relative humidities but remains free-flowing (HADEN and SCHWINT).
Slow-release fertilizers could improve the productivity of field crops and reduce environmental pollution. So far, no slow-release fertilizers are suited for maize cultivation in semiarid areas of China. Therefore, we tested attapulgite-coated fertilizers. Attapulgite-coated fertilizers were prepared by dividing chemical fertilizers into three parts according to the nutrient demand of maize in its three main growth stages and coating each part with a layer of attapulgite. This design is novel and unique, satisfying the demands of maize throughout the whole growing season with slow release of nutrients from the coated layers. A field experiment was conducted in and , using three fertilizer rates, in kg/ha: 94.22 nitrogen (N) and 22.49 phosphorus (P), 139.09 N and 38.98 P, and 254.23 N and 50.98 P. Five types of fertilizers were compared: 20 and 30 % attapulgite-coated chemical fertilizer, 20 and 30 % attapulgite-mixed chemical fertilizer, and chemical fertilizer only. The results show that the soil mineral N and available P of attapulgite-coated fertilizer has a slow-release behavior that allows a better synchronization between nutrient availability and plant needs. Attapulgite-coated fertilizer increased the grain yield by 15.1–18.4 %. The use of attapulgite-coated fertilizers also improved partial factor productivity of N fertilizer by 10.0–26.7 % and P fertilizer by 11.0–26.7 %, compared with the control fertilized without coated formulates. Given their good performance, the attapulgite-coated fertilizers could be a promising alternative slow-release fertilizer for sustainable agriculture in semiarid areas.
To improve fertilizer use efficiency and minimize its negative impact on environment, a slow-release nitrogen and boron fertilizer with water-retention was prepared. Wheat straw was used as skeletal material in copolymerization on which acrylic acid monomer can be grafted to form superabsorbent composite. Urea and borax were introduced to provide nitrogen (N) and boron (B) nutrients, respectively. The product possessed a core/shell structure. Its core was urea in attapulgite and alginate matrix, and the shell was chemically modified wheat straw-g-poly(acrylic acid)/attapulgite (CMWS-g-PAA/APT) superabsorbent composite containing urea and borax. The effects of the amount of cross-linker, initiator, chemically modified wheat straw and attapulgite on water absorbency were investigated and optimized. The water absorbency of superabsorbent synthesized under optimal conditions was 186 g g−1 in tap water. Ammonia-selective electrode and inductively coupled plasma results showed that the contents of the nitrogen and boron of the product were 23.3% and 0.65%, respectively. The water retention capacity and the slow-release behavior of N and B of the product were investigated. The results showed that the product with slow-release and water-retention capacity, being economical, nontoxic in soil and environment-friendly, could be found good application in agriculture and horticultural.
Heavy-metal contamination is widespread in agricultural soils worldwide, especially paddy soils contaminated by Cd. Amendment-induced immobilization of heavy metals is an attractive and effective technique, provided that cost-effective materials are used. This field experiment compared three alkaline passivators (attapulgite, processed oyster shell powder, and mixed soil conditioner) at a rate of 2.25 t ha-1 for their effectiveness in decreasing Cd bioavailability in soils and accumulation in rice plants in a paddy field contaminated by Cd (0.38 Cd mg kg-1). The utilization of attapulgite and processed oyster shell powder decreased labile fractions but increased stable fractions of Cd in soils through ion exchange, precipitation and complexation. The addition of attapulgite decreased the concentration of bioavailable Cd in both bulk and rhizosphere soils, whereas the amendment of processed oyster shell powder decreased it only in bulk soil. The Cd accumulation in rice plants correlated significantly with acid-soluble and residual Cd fractions in the rhizosphere soil but not in the bulk soil. The addition of attapulgite and processed oyster shell powder decreased Cd accumulation in rice grains from 0.26 mg kg-1 to 0.14 and 0.19 mg kg-1, respectively, meeting the National Food Safety Standard (< 0.20 mg kg-1). However, the mixed soil conditioner did not decrease the Cd accumulation in rice shoots or grains. This study demonstrated that attapulgite and processed oyster shell powder were economic agents in reducing Cd accumulation in rice grains.
Pesticides. Jet fuel. Olive oil. Railroad traction gel. Skin cream. Kitty litter. As you can imagine, markets like these don’t intersect very often. However, they do share one thing in common: they are all applications for attapulgite, a naturally occurring mineral used mainly as a filter, carrier and rheology modifier.
Thanks to its unique properties, the mineral has found applications in a wide range of industries, from agriculture to pharmaceuticals and automotive and beyond.
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What exactly makes attapulgite so unique and versatile?
“The material is extremely stable in liquid formulations,” says Lance Richert, Sales and New Business Development Manager of Attapulgite Products at BASF. “Attapulgite provides significant rheology stability and adsorbent properties compared to market alternatives.”
With its three-dimensional chain structure, attapulgite has one-of-a-kind colloidal, absorbent and adsorbent properties. When fully hydrated, it thickens liquids without swelling. High thermal activation gives it the large surface area and porosity it needs for optimal sorptivity.
“It has significant absorbent properties,” Richert explains. “The attapulgite can absorb a lot of liquid with impurities and things of that nature, which makes it really good for filtering. It’s also good in agricultural applications where active ingredients need to be absorbed into the granular product and released slowly.”
To take advantage of those unique attributes, you need connections to one of the limited sources of attapulgite production in North America.
In the United States, attapulgite can only be mined in southwestern Georgia and northern Florida. The mineral takes its name from the town of Attapulgus, GA, where it can be found in abundance.
BASF operates its attapulgite mines in this area, with the manufacturing facility located approximately 17 miles south of Attapulgus in Quincy, FL. The company’s attapulgite clay mining operations cover more than 16,000 acres of land in Florida and Georgia.
Quincy is the home base of BASF’s primary attapulgite operations. When the company acquired the mine in , it also adopted more than a century of history: the site was first owned by Floridin Company in , before it exchanged hands five times during the next few decades.
With 80 employees, today the site mines and processes attapulgite clay within two production lines: granular and gel. Processing, in a nutshell, involves drying, sizing and packaging the product for shipment.
BASF categorizes their product line in two segments: a gel attapulgite and a granular attapulgite. The first takes the form of a very fine powder while the other, as the name suggests, has a more granular or coarse consistency. The products are called Attagel® and Micro-Sorb®, respectively.
“Attapulgite provides significant rheology stability and adsorbent properties compared to market alternatives.”
Attagel works in multiple applications like automotive paint, interior paint, pharmaceutical, liquid fertilzer, traction gel for railroads and moisture control for windows, just to name a few. Similarly, its granular counterpart Micro-Sorb has been used in oil filtration, edible oils, jet fuel oils, herbicides — and, yes, kitty litter.
Richert adds that as an established chemical company, BASF is well-positioned to help customers respond to issues — from innovation to environmental regulations to everything in between.
For instance, he says, “If there’s a logistics or supply chain issue or a phenomenon that’s happening in the marketplace, we generally have the best leverage and the best teams to navigate our customers through the risks and opportunities.”
BASF’s operations obtain attapulgite clay by strip mining. When looking for a specific grade of attapulgite, the site’s team of mining experts must determine the most likely locations. The mineral is typically found near the surface, so excavation begins by removing the soil and rock on top.
Once they do, it’s a relatively straightforward matter of strip mining the material with excavators and other large machinery.
Once the attapulgite has been unearthed, there is one more important step remaining in the mining process: land reclamation.
“With land reclamation, we either improve upon the land we have strip mined or we will get it back to its original state as much as possible,” says Richert.
BASF aims to offset the environmental impacts of strip mining — which can include damage to landscapes, disruption of wildlife habitats and pollution of waterways — and make other environmental improvements whenever possible. The company engages in activities like water management, for example, as well as building small ponds, planting and relocating trees, and doing whatever is needed to improve the land's long-term sustainability.
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