Masters Theses

Date of Award

6-1966

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Agronomy

Major Professor

W. L. Parks

Committee Members

Elmer Gray, Russell Lewis

Abstract

The phosphate reserves which occur in the Central Basin were laid down millions of years ago when the area was covered by an inland sea. The Tennessee Brown Rock is the most important phosphate rock occurring in this area. The phosphate industry was started in Maury County when a stonecutter discovered the first rock in 1888. Since that time thousands of acres have been mined in Middle Tennessee, until recently, very little land forming had taken place. However, most mining companies are now forming the areas that they mine. Unlike Tennessee's coal land, much of this land is very fertile and had been used for agriculture before mining. Coal mining leaves a sulfur residue which may produce extremely acidic conditions. Phosphate mining does not leave residues conducive to acidity. Although some crops had been successfully grown by farmers on land that had been mined and formed, the productive capacity of the soil after mining as compared to pre-mining was not known. In order to get an evaluation of the productive capacity of soil before and after mining. The University of Tennessee initiated a project in cooperation with the Monsanto Company. Monsanto was responsible for the mining and land forming operations on a 285 acre tract of the Middle Tennessee Experiment Station. This tract is located about one mile south of Spring Hill and on the west side of U. S. highway 31. The University was responsible for conducting and evaluating the research on the reclamation of the land following mining.

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