In recognition of World Water Day on 8 March, Pratley is highlighting the benefits of its Vulture Creek Clino for a range of agricultural and horticultural applications. These include a slow-release fertiliser, improving the root zone and fertiliser uptake on golf courses and turf construction, as a soil conditioner that reduces nutrient loss and enhances growth, and as a growing medium for hydroponics. The theme of World Water Day 2022 is ‘Groundwater – Making the Invisible Visible’.

Vulture Creek Clino comprises a natural Zeolite called Clinoptilolite. Zeolites are natural minerals deposited millions of years ago during volcanic activity. These are crystalline, aluminium-silicate minerals with an open three-dimensional honeycomb structure containing elaborate networks of negatively charged channels and exchanged cations. “It is this honeycomb structure that gives rise to the completely unique absorption, catalytic, and ion exchange capabilities of Vulture Creek Clino,” comments Pratley Marketing Manager Eldon Kruger.

“The main benefit is that it reduces the frequency of applying fertiliser, thus saving money in the long run,” points out Kruger. This makes Vulture Creek Clino ideal for golf-course maintenance, new golf courses, or any garden where the soil needs to be enhanced for lawns or flowerbeds. It has even been used in the rehabilitation of mine dumps.

It acts as a soil conditioner that boosts the fertility of the soil, in turn improving its ability to provide nutrition to grass and plants as well as retaining water near the root zone. It has a strong internal negative charge and absorbs positively charged cations such as potassium and ammonium, common in fertilisers. It releases these cations slowly over a longer period, extending the efficacy of the fertiliser.

Unlike potentially harmful chemical fertilisers that can end up in rivers and dams, Vulture Creek Clino is a completely natural and environment-friendly mineral. It also stays in the soil for years and is completely harmless. The same mineral is fed to farm animals as a stock remedy. “As concern for our environment continually increases, there is a growing need for completely ‘green’ solutions,” notes Kruger.

Vulture Creek Clino is usually sold in 50 kg bags. However, for largescale projects it is also supplied in one cubic metre bulk bags. It is available from Pratley’s head office in Johannesburg or depots in Durban, Port Elizabeth, and Cape Town.