Sherif Mansour¹, Amr Elkelish^2,

Granite is the main component of the continental crust that is exposed over ca. 15 % of the continents. It is composed mainly of aluminosilicate minerals, rich in a variety of elements/nutrients. In Egypt, it outcrops along the Red Sea margin, Southern Sinai, Aswan, and southern the Western Desert. Weathered, fractured, and defective granites are easy to mine and inexpensive. Additionally, the granitic slurry and rock dust which result from cutting and polishing during the granitic manufacturing processes are considered waste products causing a problem and additional industrial costs. Reusing this waste product would benefit the manufacturer. On the other hand, the world's popularity as well as the Egyptian continues to increase at an alarming rate. Consequently, the food demand increases substantially. Egypt has a plan, already in action, for desert reclamation, however, these soils are poor in many fundamental nutrients. Additionally, the natural fertilization of the traditionally planted lands in the Nile Valley and the Delta decreases gradually since the establishment of the High Dam. Moreover, the worldwide high inflation rates cause a huge increase in the chemical fertilizers prices. Therefore, there is an urge and demand for affordable, available, and nutrients rich fertilizers. Granite, is traditionally, used as a potassium fertilizer which could enhance soil quality. However, its nature as an insoluble silicate-based mineral has limited the plants' beneficiary from its fertilizer. During this study, we have designed a strategy by which choosing the most suitable granitic rock type, overcoming its solubility issues, and testing its effect on plants. The treated sample is a monzogranite from the Younger granite suite of the Arabian-Nubian Shield at Somr ElQaa area in the northern Eastern Desert. The monzogranite rocks are generally characterized with minimum silica content among the granitic rocks and roughly equal concentrations of potassium and calcium.

granitic fertilizer, mineral fertilizer, soil enrichment, Multinutrient fertilizer