The applications of rare earth elements in enhancement of crop and pasture production in Australia

Full text: The use of Rare Earth Elements (REEs) as trace nutrients in agriculture is widely practised in the People's Republic of China. Since 1972, results of Chinese research trials involving applications of small amounts of REEs to a wide range of crops and livestock have been reported. Experimental work on the effect of REEs on plant growth has received very limited attention outside China. In 1993, a collaborative research program initiated by the State Chemistry Laboratory and RMIT University in Victoria, Australia began to investigate the physiological and biochemical effects of REEs on a number of crops and pastures. The program has involved extensive pot trials on inert substrates and soils, together with several field trials on crops and pastures; the trials have shown clearly that under certain conditions REEs can have a pronounced positive effect on plant growth. This paper reviews the work carried out over the past five years under this program