In the studies, ion exchange substrates prepared from new (standard) and spent ion exchange resins were used as fertilisers introduced into sand that served as a model of degraded soil. The obtained results showed a strong effect of the additions of standard ion exchange substrates on grass yield. It progressively increased with the increase of substrate fraction in the sand at its low content (up to 5-7%). One percent additions only of ion exchange substrates into sand increased plant yield from three to nine times. It was also noticed that an addition of one volume percent of the substrate brought the fertility of sand to that of commercially available garden soil. Results of the experiments with spent ion exchangers exhibited their fertiliser utility as an ion exchange substrate (the Mp substrate) and as monoionic forms containing potassium, nitrate and phosphate ions (the NPK monoionic forms). The plant yield obtained on sand enriched with the Mp substrate or with the NPK monoionic forms was from 1.5 to 4.5 times higher than that obtained on sand alone. At the same time the boost to growth to be attributed to the introduction of the standard substrate into sand was from two to four times greater than that caused by in addition of the Mp substrate or the NPK monoionic forms. The higher efficacy of the standard substrate compared to that of the Mp resulted from greater potassium and phosphorus contents in that substrate. The lower plant biomass on sand fertilised with the NPK monoionic forms compared to that obtained on sand enriched with the standard substrate was caused by a lower content of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus and a lack of calcium, magnesium and sulphur in the mixture of the NPK forms. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.