Grolite from Pratley is an ideal growing medium
An increased awareness of self-sustainable farming practices has resulted in the growing popularity of home-based vegetable gardening for personal use and small-scale feeding schemes for communities. Both rely on nutrients, the correct application of fertilisers and the availability of water resources.
Pratley actively produces and processes a mineral called Perlite in South Africa. The mineral is a volcanic glass and is processed to produce products that enhance agricultural practices and increase crop yields. Grolite® from Pratley is a unique, naturally occurring processed mineral used extensively as a horticultural growing medium.
The availability of water resources in South Africa presents a challenge to horticulturists, especially with the ongoing drought, resulting in self-sustainable practices becoming costly and soil to be redundant.
“Grolite® allows for improved fertiliser efficiency and improved soil quality, and it also promotes water drainage, whilst still retaining the required amount of moisture in the root zone. This promotes plant growth and increases yields of crops in a cost-effective and efficient manner,” Pratley Marketing Director Eldon Kruger comments.
Small-scale feeding schemes are often pressed for time to produce crops on a regular basis to feed communities, which impacts on crop production and leads to an insufficient regeneration of nutrients in the soil, contributing to a decline in healthy crops.
Grolite® assists in capturing nutrients and water molecules, which results in a capillary action occurring in the voids between the particles to ensure uniform distribution of water and nutrients, which promotes consistent crop yields.
Pratley relies on a foundation of research and innovation to ensure that, unlike ordinary horticultural Perlites, the stronger surface structure of Grolite® ensures that it does not deteriorate during transportation or mixing, which allows for repeat use over more than once season.
“This makes Grolite® a cost-effective and efficient method to increase yields for self-sustainable farming practices,” Kruger concludes. Grolite® is available nationwide in various grade sizes to cater for specific blends.
