UCL Resources Limited
(ASX:UCL) and the Namibian Marine Phosphate (Pty) Limited (“NMP”) shareholders, Omani registered Mawarid Mining LLC (“MML”) and Namibian registered Tungeni Investments (Pty) Limited (“Tungeni”), are pleased to announce the outcomes from a Progress Report conducted on behalf of NMP by the International Fertilizer Development Center (“IFDC”).
The objective of the contracted study is ongoing to quantify the Phosphate Rock (“PR”) reactivity of Namibian Marine Phosphate Rock – NamPhos (“NamPhos”) based on:
1. PR solubility;
2. X-ray diffraction; and
3. Greenhouse summer and winter crop evaluation.
The objectives will determine if NamPhos is suitable to be used for direct application in acidic soils and how it performs relative to:
- Triple Super Phosphate (“TSP”);
- Gafsa PR from Tunisia;
- Sechura PR from Peru; and
- Egyptian PR.
The Progress Report covered the following activities:
- Activity 1 – Phosphate Rock Characterization;
- Activity 2 – Agromic evaluation of Direct Application of NamPhos using Soybean as a test crop; and
- Activity 3 - Agromic evaluation of Direct Application of NamPhos using Brachiaria as a test crop.
NamPhos and Egyptian PR were provided by NMP. The conclusions reached from the sample tested and the work completed to date:
1. Clearly show that NamPhos outperformed Egyptian PR based on PR solubility and greenhouse yield.
2. On acid-tolerant and pasture, such as Brachiaria grass, NamPhos will be an excellent substitute for TSP.
3. PR solubility results indicated that NamPhos may be as reactive as Gafsa and Sechura; however, soybean yields showed that Gafsa and Sechura were more effective than NamPhos.
The winter crop trials to be carried out on test crops of wheat, canola and ryegrass have commenced and the results will be released in Q2 – 2013 as they become available. Preliminary results with rye grass (after two harvests) have shown TSP produced the highest biomass followed by Gafsa, Sechura and NamPhos with similar yields and Eqyptian giving the lowest yield.
Barnabas Uugwanga the CEO of NMP said “The initial results are very encouraging and support NMP’s previous information for NamPhos. The results also show that under certain soil (acidic), crop (acid-tolerant), climatic (high humidity) and rainfall (high rainfall or well irrigated areas) the NamPhos is suitable for commercial farming operations. Based on NMP’s initial information on Namibian soil conditions NamPhos looks to be suitable and a future product to assist Namibian farmers offering a possible cheaper fertilizer option”.
