1 First International Workshop on Alternative Potash Massachusetts

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First International Workshop on Alternative Potash Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 U.S.A.

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Closed Session Chipman Room (6‐104)

Afternoon Program

3:00‐4:00 Registration

4:00‐4:30 Fertilizer from Feldspar, Introductory presentation Prof. Antoine Allanore

4:30‐5:00 Informal greetings, finalization of sessions and chairs, logistics, etc.

Evening Program

6:00‐8:00 Dinner Catalyst Restaurant, 300 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA Telephone: (617) 576‐3000

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Plenary Sessions Room 4‐237

Morning Program

9:00‐9:15 Opening remarks – The global situation (Profs. David Manning and Antoine Allanore)

9:15‐9:45 Weathering of K‐bearing minerals and the geochemical cycle of potassium (Prof. Lisa Stilllings)

9:45‐10:30 Rocks for Crops: New developments related to K silicate research and development (Prof. Van Straaten)

10:30‐10:45 Break

10:45‐11:30 Novel sources of potash for plant and crop nutrition (Prof. Manning) 1

11:30‐12:00 Unlock K from feldspar by root activities (Prof. Le Cadre)

12:00‐1:00 Lunch ‐ Chipman Room (6‐104) Jules Catering

Afternoon Program

Room 4‐237

1:00‐1:45 K‐fertilizers developments in Brazil (Prof. De Souza Martins)

1:45‐2:30 20 years of silicate fertilizers in China: production technology and agro‐applications (Prof. J. Liu)

2:30‐3:15 Hydrothermal processing of K‐feldspar as a source of potash (Prof. Allanore)

3:15‐3:30 Break

Closed Session Chipman Room (6‐104)

3:30‐5:00 Discussion and brainstorming on the issues of alternative fertilizers (Chairs: Andrew Msolla and Annock Chiwona)

Evening Program

6:00‐8:00 Dinner Legal Seafoods, 5 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA Telephone: (617) 864‐3400

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Closed sessions Room E90‐1283

Morning Program

8:30‐10:00 Nexus economy‐alternative fertilizers (Chair: Benedict Kanu)

10:00‐10:15 Break

10:15‐11:45 Nexus soil‐alternative fertilizers (Chairs: Edith Le Cadre and Eder Martins)

11:45‐1:00 Nexus private sector‐alternative fertilizers (Chairs: Ingo Wender and David Manning)

Afternoon Program

1:00‐1:15 Farewell (Prof. Antoine Allanore)

Optional MIT campus and laboratory visit

Program Abstracts

HYDROTHERMAL PROCESSING OF K‐FELDSPAR AS A SOURCE OF POTASH Allanore, A.

Soluble potassium salts used as fertilizers (potash) are a key commodity necessary to develop agriculture in the Global South. Unfortunately, all sources of potash are located at a far distance from the tropics, which is where they are needed the most in order to maintain an adequate soil fertility. Poor infrastructure and cost for transportation make potash both physically and economically inaccessible to the poorest farmers. Therefore, new materials derived from local and inexpensive sources are needed. In this contribution, we discuss one such material called hydrosyenite, which is obtained as a product of hydrothermal processing of K‐feldspar (KAlSiO3) at 200 °C and ~1,500 kPa, in presence of CaO (molar ratio Ca/Si in the initial mixture equal 0.3). We characterize the hydrosyenite material determining i) its mineralogical composition by X‐rays powder diffraction, ii) its specific surface area by isothermal nitrogen adsorption and iii) its morphology by observations with both a standard and a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The mobility of potassium ions in hydrosyenite is greatly enhanced with respect to that one in K‐feldspar, which is explained, at least partially, by the formation of a calcium silicate amorphous phase during the hydrothermal treatment. Our preliminary results show that a comprehensive understanding of this phase will permit to engineering a new generation of affordable fertilizers with tunable release of potassium. Our research highlights both the opportunity and necessity to link knowledge on traditional processes and materials (e.g., formation of C‐S‐H phases in cement pastes) and the needs of tropical agricultures.

[1] Skorina T. and Allanore, A. (2015). Aqueous alteration of potassium‐bearing aluminosilicate minerals: from mechanism to processing. Green Chemistry, 17(4), 2123‐2136.

[2] Ciceri D., Manning D.A. and Allanore A. (2015). Historical and technical developments of potassium resources. Science of the Total Environment, 502, 590‐ 601.

[3] Rao J.R., Nayak R., & Suryanarayana A. (1998). Feldspar for potassium, fertilisers, catalysts and cement. Asian J. Chem, 10(4), 690‐706.

[4] Jeyabaskaran, K.J., Pandey S.D. and Gomadhi, G. (2003). Effect of potassium‐rich cement kiln flue dust and distillery effluent as substitute for potassium fertilizer on growth, yield and quality of “Ney Poovan” banana (Musa × paradisiaca). Indian journal of agricultural science, 73(12), 645‐648.

K‐FERTILIZERS DEVELOPMENTS IN BRAZIL De Souza Martins, E.

Conventional fertilizers sources are commodities which are limited to tropical agriculture, due to scarce reserves and high costs. Brazil depends at least 70% of imported NPK sources, and is greater than 90% for the K requirement. Meanwhile, fertilizer use efficiency is decreasing in the last twenty years. This challenge leads to some initiatives to increase nutrient efficiency in agriculture by coating NPK fertilizers with polymers, clay minerals and agro‐industrial wastes [1]. Other strategies seek to use regional sources of nutrients such as bio‐fertilizers, biochar, and stonemeal [2]. Industrial processes can transform these regional sources to increase their agronomic efficiency, for example, hydrothermal processes [3]. Regulatory processes are moving forward with the Soil Remineralizers Law and allowing the development of new sources. The Embrapa research program developed in the last fifteen years on alternative sources of nutrients shows that some silicate rocks are K sources, especially biotite/phlogopite or feldspathoids rich rocks. Alkali feldspar‐rich rocks generally have low agronomic efficiency. However, our studies show that the degree of crystallographic disorder can greatly enhance the K availability derived from alkali feldspars. Hydrothermal industrial processes also lead to reduction of crystallographic order of the alkali feldspars and increases the K availability. The efficiency of utilization of nutrients silicate derivatives hangs on demand of plants by bioweathering processes, since the water solubility is very low. The transformation of silicate minerals in agricultural tropical soils increases permanent Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) and the efficiency of management cationic nutrients [4]. The agronomic residual effect of silicate sources is high and can be extended for up to three cycles of crops. The performance indexes of these K sources indicate that the economic viability varies 100‐500 km radius of its production origin to the agricultural areas. These sources of regional nutrients still has the potential to intensify carbon sequestration in agricultural soils and increase the sustainability of food production [2].

[1] Benites V., Oliveira Júnior A., Pavinato P.S., Teixeira P.C., Moraes M.F., Leite R.M.V.B.C. and Oliveira R.P. (eds.) (2014). Proceedings of 16th World Fertilizer Congress of CIEC, Rio de Janeiro‐RJ, p. 410.

[2] Goreau. T.J., Larson R.W and Campe J. (eds.) (2015). Geotherapy: innovative methods of soil fertility restoration, carbon sequestration, and reversing CO2 increase. CRC Press, p. 589.

[3] Skorina T. and Allanore A. (2015). Aqueous alteration of potassium‐bearing aluminosilicate minerals: from mechanism to processing. Green Chemistry, 17(4), 2123‐2136.

[4] Martins E.S., Silveira C.A.P., Bamberg A.L., Martinazzo R., Bergmann M. and Angélica R.S. (2014). Silicate agrominerals as nutrient source and as soil conditioners for tropical agriculture. In: V.M. Benites et al. (eds.), Proceedings of 16th World Fertilizer Congress of CIEC, Rio de Janeiro‐RJ, p. 138. 7

UNLOCK K FROM FELDSPAR BY ROOT ACTIVITIES Le Cadre, E. in collaboration with Simon, B., Aznar, J.L., Arnal, D. and Hinsinger P.

In the manufacture of ceramics, feldspars are an important ingredient. Mining of feldspars deposits generates co‐mining products, which can be used as direct application K fertilizers. Agronomic efficiency of the co‐mining products depends on their intrinsic chemical reactivity defined by particle size and elementary composition but also by the soil‐plant compartiment. In particular, root activities can modify the dissolution rate of feldspars by modifying the surrounding soil known as a “rhizosphere effect”. Consequenty, the availability of nutrient in root vicinities, or environmental availability, is often larger than estimated in bulk soils. When considering the bioavailability of K to plants, more interactions that occur in the rhizosphere have to be considered. Our research project is to compare the dissolution rates of albite, syenite, micas and K‐Feldspars with different granulometry (<80 to <5000 micrometers) in batch systems during 13 days in presence of cationic exchange resin as a plant proxy. Syenite, albite and K Feldspars are the most promising K fertilizers with 3.49, 3.59 and 2.73% of total K released after 13 days. Within the first 24h, we measure an important release of K probably ascribable to the dissolution of very fine particles. We also measured in a devoted crop devices the bioavailability of K with and without soil. In these experiments, plants accumulated more K than estimated by batch experiments. The % of K accumulated in plants/K total from syenite is greater compared to K Feldspar and in a lesser extent albite. Our findings suggest that dissolution can be promoted in the field by placement near roots to benefit root activities on dissolution and perhaps by some management practices or plurispecific crop designs.

20 YEARS OF SILICATE FERTILIZERS IN CHINA: PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY AND AGRO‐APPLICATIONS. Liu, J. in collaboration with Han, C., Liu, S. and Sheng, X.

Potassium has an element abundance of 2.47%, but only a very small part of potassium is in the form of water‐soluble salts. Over 98% of K is found in silicate rocks, in the form of water‐insoluble and plant unavailable silicate minerals, such as K‐ feldspar and mica. Because of the severe lack of soluble K salts, Chinese scientists began to develop technologies aimed at transforming potassium in silicate minerals to plant‐available potassium, ever since 50 years ago. There are five main technical routes: i) simple milling, ii) acid decomposition, iii) microbial decomposition, iv) calcination, and v) hydrothermal reaction. We started our investigations in 1995, and chose the technical process of hydrothermal reaction, since the other four routes have their disadvantages: simply milled rock‐powders show little agro‐effectiveness; acid decomposition is always related to high corrosion and pollution; microbial decomposition is too slow, not suitable for large‐scale industrial production; calcination products are cement‐like, and possess potential risk of resulting in soil compaction hardening. Our experimental investigation in laboratory was finished in 1999, and pilot tests were finished by the year 2002. In 2005, industrial production became a reality in Xuanhua County, near Beijing. After agro‐experiments were carried out in different parts of China, the hydrothermal product started to be sold by the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture in 2012. Presently, there are two production lines in China, one in Beijing, and the other one in Hunan Province, both with a production capacity of about 60,000 t/year. Market sales have been gradually extended in Shandong, Hebei, Henan, Hunan, Sichuan and other provinces. The price is widely accepted by Chinese farmers. Our process is named “pressurized steam curing method,” and is supported by four Chinese patents issued between 2001 and 2007. Briefly, powdered K‐rich silicate rock and lime were mixed with water, and then exposed to hydrothermal condition of 190 and 13 ATM in sealed reactor, for 12 hours. We obtained a semi‐finished product, which needs only to be dried, milled, packed, and then sent to farmers. The whole production process does not produce waste. The most significant part is that during the long‐term investigation we found that not only potassium, but also all the other elements in silicate rocks are activated to a plant‐available form. Around 70% of all the elements of the product are citric‐ soluble, including K, Si, Ca, Fe, Mg, and B, which means the product is not only a K‐ fertilizer, but also a compound fertilizer containing all mineral nutrition elements. The Chinese Ministry of Agriculture classifies it as soil conditioner. A series of agronomic benefits including higher agricultural yields, higher quality of agro‐ products, improving plant resistance, improving soil quality, improving nutrient efficiency and stronger root system were confirmed by our ten‐year nationwide agro‐ applications. What we are looking forward to is not only alternative potash, but comprehensive soil conditioners containing all kinds of effective mineral nutrients, which can help human beings improve the quality of soil, as well as the quality and safety of agricultural products. As soils are quickly becoming less in quantity and poorer in quality, such technologies might be widely used over the world. 9

NOVEL SOURCES OF POTASH FOR PLANT AND CROP NUTRITION Manning, D.

Potassium (potash) is one of the ‘big 3’ nutrients (N, P and K) vital for plant health. At present, it is almost entirely derived commercially from mined salts, with production from especially Canada and Russia. Whenever a crop is harvested, nutrients are removed from the soil. In most developed agricultural systems, nutrients are replaced using fertilizers. However, their cost can be high, and there may be difficulties associated with transport, adding cost. In a detailed analysis of nutrient balances, it has been shown that global potash production and use needs to double to replace that removed by crops at the present day [1]. Given the pressure on soils globally to produce the crops needed to feed a growing population, conventional sources of K need to be enhanced through the use of novel K fertilizers [2, 3]. Recent developments include polyhalite, a sulfate mineral that contains potassium, calcium and magnesium thus providing a natural mixed‐nutrient source. An alternative approach is the use of potassium silicates, including K‐feldspar and nepheline. Potassium salts, including polyhalite, can be used in many soils, although a possible disadvantage is loss via through drainage. Silicate minerals do not dissolve in the same way that a salt does, but release K slowly through mineral weathering reactions. However, silicate mineral weathering depends on climate and soil chemistry. In many northern soils, addition of K as feldspar is unlikely to be effective, although nepheline‐bearing rocks have been shown to act as sources of K, due to the relatively rapid dissolution of nepheline. In contrast, in deeply‐leached tropical oxisols feldspar is inherently unstable, potentially weathering sufficiently quickly to act as an effective source of K. Through careful experiments, we have now confirmed that feldspar can be a source of K for plant growth.

[1] Sheldrick W.F., Syers J.K. and Lingard J. (2002). A conceptual model for conducting nutrient audits at national, regional and global scales. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems. 62: 61‐67.

[2] Ciceri D., Manning D.A.C. and Allanore A. (2015) Historical and technical developments of potassium resources. Science of the Total Environment, 502, 590‐601

[3] Manning D.A.C. (2015) How minerals will feed the world in 2050. Proceedings of the Geologists’ Association 126, 14‐17.

ROCKS FOR CROPS: NEW DEVELOPMENTS RELATED TO K SILICATE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT Van Straaten, P.

Agrogeology is a relatively new interdisciplinary science that encompasses two principal aspects: 1. the influence of parent material on soil development and soil fertility, and 2. the beneficial application of rocks and minerals to enhance the productivity of soils: Rocks for Crops [1,2]. Major efforts have to be made to reduce the ‘nutrient mining’ crisis in tropical countries. One of the strategies to replenish soil nutrients involves the use of locally available agromineral and organic resources [1,3]. Among the major soil nutrients that can be replenished using agrominerals are P and K. Phosphate rocks are of different geological origins and have different abilities to release of P from the rock as shown from examples in sub‐Saharan Africa. Most phosphate bearing rocks are however unsuitable for direct application and need biological, chemical and mechanical modification to become more effective P sources for farmers. Examples will be provided of potential modification techniques, and a success story from Tanzania. Like with ground phosphate rocks, the direct application of finely ground K‐silicate rock powders to soils in the tropics have shown variable results largely due to the complexity of the rock and mineral chemistry and mineralogy [4]. There is a need to modify theses agromineral resources for increased effectiveness. An example is given of the successful use of K‐bearing rocks (phonolite) in Brazil, and the potential for increased K release from phonolite and ‘K‐rock’ using micronizing techniques. My research is currently concentrating on the use of K‐rich, silica under saturated volcanic in various parts of the world, in agromineral provinces (rift zones and subduction zones), e.g. in Uganda and Indonesia. One of the modification techniques with considerable potential for success is micronizing/mechanical activation using appropriate technologies. Another novel approach to use K‐silicate rocks is currently in progress in Indonesia where rock‐ extracted K‐Si solutions are used as foliar sprays on rice [5]. It is important to recognize where K resources are needed most, on which soils and for which crops. To address the distribution of K in rocks and soils, a regolith and soil mapping technique has been developed using airborne and ground geophysical surveys [6‐8]. Examples will be provided from Brazil, Rwanda, and Uganda. There is a considerable potential for using low grade and non‐conventional nutrient‐bearing mineral resources to contribute to the replenishment of depleting nutrient resources. The resource base of these agromineral resources is very large but the principal barrier of slow nutrient release from minerals has to be overcome. To contribute to enhanced food production using the ‘rocks‐for‐crops’ approach it is necessary to find locally available rock and mineral‐based nutrient resources and develop them using economically viable and practical modification techniques.

[1] Van Straaten P. (2002). Rocks for Crops: Agrominerals of sub‐Saharan Africa. ICRAF, Nairobi Kenya.

[2] Van Straaten P. (2007). Agrogeology – the use of rocks for crops. Enviroquest Ltd. Cambridge, ON, Canada. 11

[3] Leonardos O.H., Fyfe W.S. and Kronberg B.I. (1987). The use of ground rocks in laterite systems: an improvement to the use of conventional soluble fertilizers? Chem. Geol. 60:361‐370.

[4] Harley A.D. and Gilkes R.J. (2000) Factors influencing the release of plant nutrients from silicate rock powders: a geochemical overview. Nutr. Cycl. Agroecosyst. 56:11‐36.

[5] Priyono J. (Oct. 2015), University of Mataram, Lombok, Indonesia, pers. communication.

[6] Wilford J.R., Bierwirth B.N. and Craig M.A. (1997). Application of airborne gamma‐ ray spectrometry in soil/regolith mapping and applied geomorphology. AGSO J. Austral. Geology & Geophysics 17:201‐216. [7] Van Straaten P. (2015). The role of geophysics in agrogeology. Presentation at KEGS meeting, University of Toronto, Canada, Feb. 10th, 2015. www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBcNDCEJBLc

[8] de Oliveira R.G., Rodrigues Domingos N.R., and de Araújo Costa Rodrigues M. (in preparation). Correlação especial de dados gammaespetrométricos e magnetométricos com domínios de solos do Estado de Pernambuco. Draft chapter in book: Agrogeology of Pernambuco, Edited by P. van Straaten and J.C. de Araújo Filho.

List and Biographies of Participants

ALLANORE, Antoine Assistant Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology [email protected]

Prof. Antoine Allanore has more than a decade of experience in the field of chemical metallurgy. Since 2004, as R&D engineer at ArcelorMittal in France, then at MIT since 2010, he has developed several alternative processes for metal extraction that adopt green chemistry principles. He co‐founded Boston Electrometallurgical Corporation (BEMC) to engineer the large‐scale development of one of such approaches. In 2012, he was appointed the T.B. King Assistant Professor of Metallurgy in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at MIT, where his research group aims at developing sustainable materials extraction and manufacturing processes. His group has proposed a novel approach to investigate and control water/mineral interactions in soils using microfluidics (Word Congress on Soils Science, Korea, 2014, PLoS ONE, 2015). Focusing on mining and processing of unconventional resources (Journal of the Total Environment, 2015, Green Chemistry 2015), he invented a waste‐free process to produce a potassium fertilizer from earth‐abundant raw materials. The product has been designed to suit tropical soils, and its success has been shown in crop‐test. It is now under field evaluation in Brazil (16th World Fertilizer Congress, Rio, 2014). He teaches thermodynamics and sustainable chemical metallurgy at both the undergraduate and graduate level. Prof. Allanore was awarded the DeNora Prize in 2012 and the Early Career Faculty Fellow award in 2015, both from TMS (The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society).

CHIWONA, Annock Gabriel Geologist, PhD Researcher, Newcastle University [email protected]

Annock Chiwona is a Malawian citizen and a geologist by profession. He is currently a PhD researcher in the School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Newcastle University, United Kingdom (on Newcastle University’s SAgE Doctoral Training Awards Scheme). He holds a BSc in Earth Sciences from the University of Malawi and an MSc in Geology (with Distinction) obtained in 2014, from the University of Wollongong, Australia (under the Australia‐Africa Awards Scholarship). He works as a geologist for the Geological Survey of Malawi where his key tasks include mineral exploration, geological research, environmental geology and assessment of geological hazards. He has received a number of local and international awards, including the annual SADC Geologic Remote Sensing gold medal in 2011 and 2012, respectively, as well as the Golden Key International Honour Award, Australasia and Pacific Chapter in 2013. In the last few years, his major research interest has been in geologic remote sensing and rare earths elements. His current studentship involves research on extending the reach of crushed‐rock fertilizers to Africa. Particularly, his interests dwell on applying airborne and ASTER satellite remote sensing techniques to identify significant sources of potassium suitable for use as a crop fertilizer in rift tectonic settings. His interest is to continue with research that will contribute to developing 16 novel alternative potash solutions, to meet agricultural fertilizer demand, especially in the economically under‐privileged third world.

Fellow for Golden Key International Honor Society, (ii) Member of the Pan Africa National Geological Information Systems and Databases Working‐group (PANGIS), (iii) Member of Sub‐Sahara Research Society, (iv) Member of SADC Geologic Remote Sensing Working‐group, (v) Australia Awards Alumni Network.

CICERI, Davide Postdoctoral Associate, Massachusetts Institute of Technology [email protected]

Davide Ciceri is a Postdoctoral Associate in the Department of Materials Science & Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. A native of Italy, Dr. Ciceri received both his BSc and MSc in Chemistry from The University of Milan. He continued his education in Australia, where he received his PhD in Chemical Engineering from The University of Melbourne. Since joining MIT in 2013, Davide has been part of an international team of researchers dedicated to the synthesis of advanced materials via hydrothermal processing. Starting with an early interest in the photocatalytic properties of titanium dioxide, Davide’s research now focuses on interfaces and metals extraction. Currently, he is developing a hydrothermal method to extract potassium for agricultural use from silicate minerals. At the same time, his interest for microfluidics is leading him to investigate interfacial soil processes (e.g., nutrient leaching from mineral sources) by using microfluidic devices.

DE OLIVEIRA, Marcelo Exploration Manager, Terrativa Minerais [email protected]

Marcelo De Oliveira is exploration manager at Terrativa Minerais. Currently, he is a research affiliate in the Department of Materials Sciences & Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Brazilian, Dr. De Oliveira received both his BSc (Geology) and MSc (Geochemistry and Igneous Petrology) from the University of Pará, in Brazil. He then continued his education and received his PhD in geochemistry and petrology from the University of Pará. In 2010, he was a postdoctoral researcher (Experimental Petrology and Mineralogy) in the Institute des Sciences de la Terre at the Université d’Orléans (France). In 2010 and 2011, Dr. De Oliveira was Visiting Professor in the Department of Geology of University of Sul e Sudeste do Pará (Brazil), and worked for more than five years in mining companies, focusing on different commodities (nickel, gold, copper, iron, manganese, potash) and different countries (Brazil, Suriname, Swaziland, Australia, Finland, Norway).

DE SOUZA MARTINS, Eder Researcher, Embrapa Cerrado [email protected]

Eder de Souza Martins is a researcher of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) in the Cerrado Ecoregional Centre, Planaltina‐DF. Dr. Martins received his BSc, MSc and PhD in Geology from the University of Brasilia. Since joining Embrapa in 1997, Eder has been part of a team working on soil science and alternative fertilizers. Starting with an interest in landscape mapping, Eder’s research now focuses on silicate agrominerals and agrogeology.

GADOIS, Carole Postdoctoral Associate, Massachusetts Institute of Technology [email protected]

Carole Gadois is a Postdoctoral Associate in the Department of Materials Science & Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. Gadois received her MSc in Chemistry and Process Engineering from the School of Chemistry, Physics and Electronics of Lyon (CPE Lyon), France. In 2009, she joined the Laboratory of the Physico‐Chemistry of Surfaces in the School of Chemistry of Paris (ENSCP) as a PhD candidate, and completed her PhD in 2013, in partnership with EADS Astrium. Since joining MIT in 2013, Carole has been a member of the Allanore group dedicated to the sustainable extraction of metals. She is currently investigating ways of extraction of potassium from feldspars for fertilizer applications, and developing a high temperature process with this specific purpose.

KANU, Benedict Lead Agriculture Expert, Agriculture and Agro‐industry Department (OSAN), African Development Bank [email protected]

Benedict Kanu is an Agricultural Economist with more than twenty years of diverse national and international experience, including designing, managing and evaluating successful agricultural and allied investment projects and programs in Africa. Some 18 years of such experience was gained responsibly in the service of the African Development Bank in various capacities spanning multiple countries and regions of Africa. He is currently the Lead Agriculture Expert in the Bank’s Agriculture and Agro‐ industry Department. In this capacity, Benedict advises the Director, and also has responsibilities for knowledge and diagnostic activities and managing strategic partnerships in the sector. Earlier (from 1997 to 2009), he held positions of Senior, then Principal Agricultural Economist, followed by Country Operations Officer with the Bank.

LE CADRE, Edith Assistant Professor, Montpellier SupAgro. [email protected]

Edith Le Cadre is a Geochemist, Assistant Professor at Montpellier SupAgro in France. Dr. Le Cadre has a Bsc and Msc in plant physiology and agronomy, respectively. She completed her formation in bioclimatology during her PhD, funded by an international fertilizer company. After a first experience as a R&D officer, she now develops researches on plant‐root induced modifications of nutrient availability to cope with ecological intensification of Mediterranean and tropical agroecosystems. She is also interested in soil quality determination to design new agroecosystems and developing innovative fertilizers from alternative sources.

LEITE, Albano Technical Director, Terrativa Minerais [email protected]

Albano Leite is a native of Brazil. He holds a MSc and a PhD in Petrology and Geochemistry. He specializes in sampling, QAQC, geological databases and mineral exploitation. Dr. Leite was QAQC quality control coordinator for several research projects and mineral exploration at VALE SA. He implemented QAQC programs, accompanied external and internal audits for several research projects in Brazil and abroad, for a wide range of minerals (iron, copper, laterites and sulphides, nickel, bauxite, kaolin, titanium, limestone and coal). He was also professor Federal University of Pará, Brazil. As of today, he acts as a consultant and technical director in Terrativa Minerais.

LIU, Jianming Research Professor, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences [email protected]

Jian‐Ming Liu was a student in Chengdu College of Geology from 1982 until 1985. Between 1986 and 1989 he was a PhD student at the University of Heidelberg, Germany. Between 1989 and 1994 he worked as a Lecturer in Chengdu College of Geology. Since 1995 he joined the Division of Solid Mineral Resources, Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, where he is currently serving as a Research Professor.

MANNING, David Professor of Soil Science, Newcastle University [email protected]

David Manning is Professor of Soil Science in the School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences at Newcastle University, UK, and President of the Geological Society of London. He is Honorary Professor of Soil Mineral Processes at the University of Edinburgh. He has BSc and PhD in Geology, and has professional accreditation as chartered geologist, chartered scientist and European geologist. A geologist by training, he has over 30 years experience working in academic research, producing over 100 peer‐reviewed journal papers. His research focuses on the application of mineralogy and geochemistry to problems of commercial and societal interest, especially food production and climate change. He works on novel potassium fertilizers, and on innovative approaches that use soil mineral reactions to capture atmospheric CO2. He has worked on biochar as a way of locking carbon into soils, and has experience of drilling for deep geothermal energy. His research has taken him to many European countries, Thailand, Brazil and Canada. He was founding Director of Mineral Solutions Ltd. (www.mineralsolutions.co.uk), a private company that for 10 years provided consultancy and product development services to those who use mineral raw materials. He has worked closely with the minerals and waste management industries in particular. In addition to his research publications, he wrote a student textbook ‘Introduction to Industrial Minerals’. He has won the Mineralogical Society’s Schlumberger Medal for his contribution to academia and industry, and the Geological Society’s Wollaston Fund.

MSOLLA, Mshindo M. Country Manager, African Fertilizer and Agribusiness Partnership (AFAP) amsolla@afap‐partnership.org

Dr. Mshindo M. Msolla holds a BSc in General Agriculture (University of Dar Es Salaam), Post Graduate Diploma in Soil Science (Agricultural University of Norway), MSc and PhD in Agriculture, majoring in Soil Science (Sokoine University of Agriculture). During his MSc and PhD, Dr. Msolla worked on soil fertility related issues. During his MSc, he looked at zinc deficiency in rice‐cultivated soils of Western Tanzania. For his PhD, he looked on Minjingu phosphate rock suitability for direct application as a hyperphosphate, after being compacted with triple superphosphate. He has worked in different capacities with DANIDA and the Tanzanian Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives. While working with the Ministry, he initiated and supervised the National Agricultural Inputs Voucher Scheme, in his capacity of Assistant Director of Agricultural Inputs, and later as Director of Crop Development. One of his other main contribution while working for the Government has been putting in place the Fertilizer Act of 2009 and its Regulations of 2011. It is within this law that the Tanzania Fertilizer Regulatory Authority (the only such authority in East Africa) was formed in 2011. Its main mandate is ensuring quality fertilizer use in Tanzania. Together with the International Potash Institute and the 20

Ministry of Agriculture, he organized Tanzania’s First National Potash Symposium, which was held in July 2015. He has been involved in many policy issues related to agricultural development in Tanzania, and is currently Tanzania’s African Fertilizer and Agribusiness Partnership (AFAP) Country Manager. Outside his scientific career, he is a seasoned football coach and he rose to the rank of Head Coach of the Tanzania National Football Team (Taifa Stars} and Premier League Clubs. He holds CAF License A, which allows him to coach football teams anywhere in Africa.

VAN STRAATEN, Peter Professor Emeritus, University of Guelph [email protected]

Peter van Straaten is a geologist with a PhD from the University of Goettingen, Germany. He conducted field work for his PhD in Uganda on Precambrian geology along the Western Rift valley. For almost ten years he worked for United Nations projects (UNDP, UNECA) as field geologist and exploration geochemist in East Africa. In 1984, he expanded his career and introduced the new interdisciplinary science of agrogeology – geology in the service of agriculture and moved to the University of Guelph, Canada. Supported by Canadian and international funding sources he carried out agrogeological projects in Eastern and Southern Africa, Asia and South America. At the University of Guelph, Professor van Straaten taught undergraduate and graduate classes. In 2007, he retired and became Professor Emeritus at the Ontario Agricultural College of the University of Guelph. Currently Dr. van Straaten is Visiting Professor at the Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Brazil and collaborates with soil scientists, agronomists and geologists in agrogeological projects in Southern Brazil, Uganda, and Indonesia.

WENDER, Ingo Gustav President, Terrativa Minerais [email protected]

Ingo Wender is an entrepreneur who focuses on natural resources and technology. A native of Brazil, he went to a Brazilian/German school, and graduated as a Mechanical Engineer with focus on business (Engenharia de Producao), at the Faculdade de Engenharia Industrial in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in 1981. After finishing his study, he moved to Germany, and worked during the years 1982‐1984 at BMW (Munich) in the New Materials Development Division, at MTU (Munich) in the quality control division from aircraft turbines production, and also at Krones Maschinenfabrik (Regensburg), as a producer of special machineries for the food industry. In 1984 he moved back to Brazil. For 2 years he was export manager for Fupresa Hitchiner, an Investment Casting Foundry. From 1986 until 2007 he was partner in the company Meermagen Importacao, and was involved with the sale and technical consulting in the Brazilian market of special metallic (copper/nickel, nickel alloys, titanium alloys, special stainless steels and carbon steels) and metallic materials, for the Oil&Gas, 21 petrochemical, chemical and paper and pulp industry. In 2005, he started an iron ore project, and partnered with BHP Billiton to develop this project. In 2007 he founded with other investors Terrativa Minerais, and developed the Morro do Pilar iron ore project, selling it to an international group of investors in 2011. Terrativa started in the year 2010 the development of a project on alternative potash fertilizers. In the year 2011, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology became integral part of such development. In the year 2012, Ingo joined as an investor an MIT startup, BEMC, to develop a novel technology for environment‐friendly metals production. In the year 2013 he backed as investor the development of an new technology for solar energy cells, developed by the University of Cambridge/UK.