To peak carbon dioxide emissions and achieve carbon neutrality is one of the key tasks of China during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, and even before 2060. To accomplish this goal, it is necessary to explore effective ways to reduce carbon emission and increase carbon sink. Recent studies have shown that the global potential for increasing carbon sink in farmland via Enhanced Rock Weathering is estimated to be 500 million to 2 billion tons of carbon dioxide. Enhanced Rock Weathering is a carbon capture technology in which soil carbon sequestration capacity is enhanced by adding artificially crushed silicate rock to the soil. In this way, the weathering of the rock powder can be accelerated by carbon dioxide that released from the water and the soil. Rock weathering products are weakly alkaline, which can effectively control soil acidification. The calcium, magnesium, silicon and potassium released from weathering can promote plant growth, and increase plant resistance to diseases and insect pests. However, there is still a lack of relevant experimental research in China. 

To explore the effectiveness and feasibility of increasing carbon sink via adding rock powder to soil of forests and farmland, on April 12, 2021, the stable isotope ecology research group of the Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences held a kick-off meeting to start the project entitled "Rock Fertiliser Increases Crop Production and Carbon Sink". IAE scientists, Prof. Fang Yunting, Prof. Wang Xugao, Prof. Zhang Weidong, Prof. Sun Tao, Senior Engineer Li Guochen, Prof. Kang Ronghua, Associate Prof. Wang Chao, and Engineer Fang Nana from the Shenyang Geological Survey Centre of the China Geological Survey Bureau attended the meeting. 

This project plans to select typical plantation forests and farmland ecosystems in southern and northern China, set up control and rock powder addition treatments, and observe the responses of soil properties, ecosystem carbon sink capacity, plant growth, crop quality and yield in the long run in order to assess how the typical forest and farmland ecosystems can increase carbon sink capacity using the relevant technologies. At the meeting, Prof. Fang Yunting spoke of the background of the project, and then Engineer Fang Nana and Senior Engineer Li Guochen delivered two talks, respectively, on physical and chemical properties of the rock (wollastonite) powder that will be used in the experiments of the project and the mechanical activation of mineral by grinding. Prof. Kang Ronghua detailed the project plan.