How to Become a Net Zero Company
Carbon Offsetting for Businesses Explained
How Businesses Can Purchase Carbon Removals
The Kingston Wollastonite Rebate
UNDO Farmers Program in Canada
How Silicon Boosts Crop Health
All Resources
Farmer & Landowner FAQs
Our Science
Our Technology
Quarries & Mines
Climate Glossary
Downloads
Podcasts
In the Media
" />
Across Ontario, field observations and scientific studies are pointing to the soil and crop benefits of calcium silicate.
Farmer Observations From The Field
At UNDO, we work with farmers, agronomists, and partners to test and demonstrate the impact of enhanced rock weathering on real farms, in real conditions.
During the 2024 growing season, one of our Ontario farm partners, Mike and Tessa Dwyre, applied wollastonite to a portion of their field. An adjacent field, treated identically but without wollastonite, provided a useful comparison. By harvest, the visual and grading differences between the two were clear. The wollastonite-treated corn showed fuller kernel development and stronger test weights.
While not a controlled trial, this observation adds to a growing base of evidence across our program, and it reflects what agronomic research has long suggested about the value of calcium and silicon in crop production.
A Closer Look At The Comparison
These two fields were planted with the same corn hybrid, managed with the same fertilizer program and spray schedule, and harvested within days of each other. The only difference was the fall application of wollastonite on one of the plots. The treated corn not only graded higher, but also appeared more robust when visually compared with stronger colour and more complete kernel fill.
These kinds of results support what we hear from many participating growers: Wollastonite isn’t just a soil pH solution, it’s a longer-term investment in crop health and productivity.
Calcium And Silicon: Small Minerals, Big Impact
Wollastonite is a natural source of calcium and silicon. While both minerals are well-established in the scientific literature, they’re often underutilised in practical field management. Here’s why they matter:
The Calcium Effect
Calcium plays a foundational role in both soil structure and plant health. In the soil, it helps flocculate clay particles and improve aggregation, leading to better drainage, root development, and nutrient uptake. In the plant, calcium contributes to stronger cell walls and improved resilience during weather extremes. It’s particularly useful in systems where compaction or acidity is limiting productivity.
Silicon’s Potential
Silicon isn’t always included in standard nutrient programs, but research shows it plays an important role in supporting plant health and resilience across crops like wheat, corn, soybeans, and pumpkins. Research shows that silicon can:
– Reduce susceptibility to fungal pathogens like Fusarium and powdery mildew
– Improve water-use efficiency during drought stress
– Strengthen plant architecture, leading to better light interception and potentially longer grain fill
Many North American soils are low in plant-available silicon due to intensive cropping and limited replenishment. That makes targeted inputs like wollastonite especially valuable.
Ontario Soils And Why This Matters Now
In Ontario, soil organic matter, a key indicator of soil health, is declining on about 82 % of farmland, and over half of cropland faces high erosion risk. These trends reinforce why building long‑lasting soil structure and nutrient reserves is so important for crop performance and resilience
Wollastonite offers a practical solution. It helps buffer soil pH in a slower, more sustained way compared to traditional lime, while also delivering plant-available silicon and calcium. Its effects are longer-lasting, often continuing to support soil health and structure for multiple years after application.
In a Rutgers University study on pumpkins, wollastonite application increased silicon uptake and significantly reduced the severity of powdery mildew. The most effective rates in that trial were 3.13 and 6.25 tons per acre. While higher than typical local lime recommendations, these rates were tested in controlled conditions and highlight wollastonite’s potential for both disease suppression and silicon delivery.
How The UNDO Program Works For Canadian Farmers
Our enhanced rock weathering program is designed to support long-term soil health while removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. In Ontario, that means partnering with local farmers to spread wollastonite in a way that works with existing operations.
What’s included:
– Crushed wollastonite rock provided free of charge (UNDO covers the material cost)
– Spreading costs are fully covered by UNDO, using local contract applicators
– Farmers only cover haulage costs, which are often lower than the cost of lime
– No need to change fertilizer plans or cropping schedules
– No annual input needed
– Full control remains with the farmer
We manage all environmental modelling, carbon measurement, and scientific analysis. The result is a low-barrier, science-backed opportunity for farmers to improve soil and crop performance with minimal disruption.
Outcomes Beyond Nutrition
Across our Canadian sites, farmers are reporting:
– Improved plant health and standability
– Increased early root growth in treated fields
– More consistent yields, even under variable weather
– Reduced disease pressure in silicon-responsive crops
– Longer-term pH balance, supporting better nutrient efficiency
These agronomic benefits are layered on top of the carbon removal impact, making wollastonite a powerful tool for climate-smart farming.
A Foundation For The Future
UNDO is currently operating across over 100 farms in Canada, with our flagship Sentinel Site based at the University of Guelph’s Simcoe Research Station. We’re working closely with researchers from Yale and the University of Washington to generate high-resolution field data using lysimeters, porewater analysis, and gas flux monitoring.
This deep science approach helps validate the carbon removal potential of enhanced rock weathering. But it also provides valuable insights into how different soils and crops respond to wollastonite over time, informing better agronomic practices and helping us improve outcomes for the farmers we partner with.
Ready to learn more?
If you’re farming in Ontario and want to explore how wollastonite could support your soil and crop goals, we’d love to hear from you. Our team is happy to answer questions, check eligibility, and help you decide if the UNDO program is a good fit for your farm.
