Wollastonite

Wollastonite comes from the area around Seeleys Bay in Ontario. Its source is a high grade calcium silicate deposit that when mined and ground down provides an excellent rock dust made up of approximately 27% silicon, 16.5% calcium, and 4% magnesium. Although most soils can benefit from the calcium addition, it is the silica content here that is of interest. Silica is a crucial mineral, as it contributes greatly to building the strength of cell walls, which in turn protect the plant from pests that seek to chew and suck on the plant structures. Strong cell walls not only encourage upright plant structure, but they trigger a range of natural defenses. A cell wall fortified with adequate silica levels protects the plant from assault by the different fungal pathogens by making it much more difficult for the fungal pathogens to be able to eat their way through the cell walls into the cell centre where it then gains a foothold and spreads. Silica boosts photosynthesis and chlorophyll development. The nutrient pathways in the plant- the xylem and phloem- govern the movement and translocation of mineral nutrients throughout the plant. It is silica that is responsible for the creation and maintenance of these pathways. And without adequate levels of silica in its structure, plants will all too often succumb more readily to the stresses brought on by drought and low water conditions. "The stronger the cell wall, the more stress-resistant the plant, whether that stress is from pathogens or non-living factors." Graeme Sait, Australian Agronomist