AM/NS India and ICAR-IARI Partner to Study Iron Ore Tailings in Agriculture

ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (AM/NS India) and the ICAR–Indian Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR-IARI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Hyderabad to conduct advanced research on the sustainable utilisation of Iron Ore Tailings in agricultural applications.

The partnership focuses on executing long-term scientific studies across multiple seasons. The research will evaluate crop response, nutrient availability, phytotoxicity, leaching characteristics, and the broader environmental impact of introducing the mining by-product into agricultural systems.

The primary objective of the initiative is to build scientific evidence to determine whether Iron Ore Tailings can be safely and beneficially deployed in farming. Establishing viable agricultural uses for the material is expected to help reduce the requirement for long-term storage of mining by-products.

Hiroo Ishibashi, Technology Director and Vice President at AM/NS India, stated that the collaboration with ICAR-IARI represents an effort to unlock the potential of iron ore tailings through science-led research. He noted that if successful, the initiative could deliver positive outcomes by lowering the environmental footprints associated with by-product storage while supporting sustainable agriculture and resource conservation.

Project Principal Investigator Dr Bhupinder Singh indicated that preliminary assessments have yielded encouraging results regarding the potential application of iron ore tailings in farming. He explained that the long-term collaborative programme with AM/NS India is designed to generate comprehensive scientific data covering agronomic performance, environmental safety, and nutrient dynamics.