Imagine yourself holding an umbrella while walking under the sun, does that enough to

counter the heat? Maybe not, it is because of the higher average temperature of our surrounding
due to climate change. Not just that but in most parts of the world food security is being affect
because of the continuous declining quality of our soil.
What exactly happens to our soil under climate change? To begin with, climate change
will have a significant effect on crop production because of the changes in soil, air temperature
and rainfall, it will affect the rate of maturity of crops that will result to a longer time for it to be
ready for harvest. As the climate heats up, the water availability is affected in which the
irrigation will shoulder it all. However, the scarcity of water may hinder whether if the water will
be used for irrigation. In addition to that, increasing damage to the land or land degradation will
occur in the form of soil erosion, desertification, salinization, or loss of peat soils, further
impacting on the capability of soils to support the needs of agriculture.
This is where zeolites drawn attention. Since Zeolites are useful in agriculture because of
their potential to hold water more than half of their weight due to high porosity of the crystalline
structure. Water molecules in the pores could easily be evaporated or reabsorbed without damage
to such structures which assures a permanent water reservoir. By sustaining the moisture in dry
periods helps plants to withstand dry seasons that results in saving water needed for irrigation.
Zeolites as soil amendments can be a permanent solution because microbes do not
consume it, so it does not break down like other amendments and remains in the soil to improve
nutrient retention. The soil may also reduce water and fertilizer costs by retaining essential
nutrients in the root zone such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Aside from these the
amendment of sand and zeolites proves to increases available water to the plants by 50% based
on studies, that’s why this method is very useful to those country with a arid or semi-arid climate
just like here in the Philippines.
So if you have some crops in your neighborhood it would be better if you consider the
use of zeolites in your substrates to improve the quality of your crops and make sure that you
take care of your plants for a greener future!
REFERENCES:
1. Zeolite: A Soil Conditioner Binod Kalita1* , Sarat Sekhar Bora2* and Bhabesh Gogoi
https://www.ijcmas.com/9-1-2020/Binod%20Kalita,%20et%20al.pdf
2. Zeolite and its potential uses in agriculture : A critical review C. Sangeetha* and P. Baskar1
https://arccjournals.com/uploads/articles/2R1558.pdf
3. Zeolites: Potential soil amendments for improving nutrient and water use efficiency and
agriculture productivity Vijay Sandeep Jakkula and Suhas P Wani
https://www.tsijournals.com/abstract/zeolites-potential-soil-amendments-for-improving-
nutrient-and-water-use-efficiency-and-agriculture-productivity-13771.html
4. What Is Zeolite: How To Add Zeolite To Your Soil
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/zeolite-soil-
conditioner.htm