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One of the most important necessities in the contemporary economy is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through the use of biomass as a raw material for obtaining energy instead of fossil fuels. Another goal is to lower soil contamination by decreasing synthetic fertilization through the use of natural fertilizers that do not pollute the environment. These requirements are driving the development of new plant cultivation technologies which allow for the attainment of the maximum yield of biomass convertible to energy and decrease environmental contamination (Faaij, 2006; Biofuels in the EU, 2006; Biofuels Progress Report, 2007; Fernando et al., 2018). It is assumed that the limitation of the contamination of the agrological environment, caused by the use of excessive doses of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, can be reduced through plant fertilization with ash from the burnt biomass of plant species containing no toxic substances. Due to the fact that this ash may contain the majority of elements necessary for plant growth and is environmentally benign, its use in agriculture as a fertilizer may be beneficial. Moreover, such an application of ash could solve the problem of its storage, which is dangerous for the environment (Romanowska-Duda et al., 2019b). The use of biomass ash in agriculture as an organic fertilizer and an alternative to chemical soil enrichment may be very advantageous in global plant production from an economic © 2020 Institute of Agrophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences Z. ROMANOWSKA-DUDA et al. 366 and environmental point of view and thus appropriate technologies for its application should be developed. This is particularly important since there are predictions that the amount of biomass converted into electricity will continue to grow, already in 2020, electricity production from biomass will be higher by 25%, compared to 2010. The literature concerning the use of ash from burnt biomass is inadequate and treats this problem in a compartmentalized fashion. In the majority of cases, it concerns the use of ash from burnt wood which originates from forestry. This ash may contain toxic substances absorbed by the trees during their long period of growth (Santalla et al., 2011; Vassiliev et al., 2013). Buss et al. (2019) indicated that the application of wood ash could provide nutrients and increase the pH of forest soil and it could also temporarily change its chemistry within a relatively short period of time. Jagodzinski et al. (2018) demonstrated the positive effect of ash from burnt wood on Lemna minor L. development, whereas Romanowska-Duda et al. (2019c) showed the stimulating influence of sorghum ash on the development and physiological activity of Lemnaceae. Piekarczyk et al. (2014), Ciesielczuk et al. (2011) and Meller and Bilenda (2012) demonstrated the increased content of nutrients in soil fertilized with ash from burnt plant biomass including barley, wheat and rape. Schiemenz and Eichler-Löbermann (2010) and Schiemenz et al. (2011) have revealed different structures of ash which depend on the plant species burnt, while Park et al. (2005) have shown that the composition of ash from wood was not consistent during three years of research. It is assumed that the use of ash from burnt biomass is more satisfactory than the use of sewage sludge, which may contain not only nutrients important for growth but also toxic substances which must be removed before its use in plant cultivation (Fang et al., 2017; Pszczółkowska et al., 2019). Because of the inadequate and sometimes inconclusive information concerning this subject, further research is required to explore the influence of ash from particular plant species on different crops under specific soil conditions. Moreover, information concerning the use of plant biomass ash as an alternative to artificial fertilizers, which is the key to decreasing agro environment pollution, is difficult to find in the literature. The possibility of decreasing chemical fertilization through the foliar application of microalgae was demonstrated by Pszczółkowska et al. (2019), Dębowski et al. (2018) and Grzesik et al. (2017a). To the best of our knowledge, a study concerning the use of ash from burnt Jerusalem artichoke in sorghum crops, separately or combined with waste from biogas plant and biopreparations, as well as their impact on plants and soil properties under the conditions of limited artificial fertilization has not been performed to date. Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) variety Rona 1 was selected for the research presented, because this plant is a novel crop with a bright future in Poland and is cultivated for silage and energy production in a changing climate (Krzystek et al., 2018). The aim of the presented research was to assess the possibility of decreasing artificial fertilization by using ash from burnt Jerusalem artichoke, waste from biogas plants, Apol-Humus and Stymjod. Therefore, the impact of these fertilizers on soil properties and on the development and physiological activity of sorghum under reduced doses of artificial YaraMila Complex was studied. MATERIAL AND METHODS Commercial seeds of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) ‘Rona 1’ were obtained from a distributor, Kutno Sugar Beet Breeding Company (Poland). The chemical fertilizer YaraMila Complex (Yara), is commercially available in stores with gardening supplies. The ash came from burning fully matured Jerusalem artichoke plants as part of own research. It was sifted on sieves (with 2 x 2 mm mesh) before use. Three-year studies showed that the ash prepared in this way was uniform and had a similar effect on plant growth. Thus, from a practical point of view there was no need to divide it into additional factions. Noncentrifuged waste from corn grain biodigestion to methane was obtained from Gamawind Ltd., Piaszczyna, Poland, a distillery integrated with a biogas plant. Apol-Humus, a soil improver, was supplied by the manufacturer Poli-Farm Sp. z o.o., Poland, whereas Stymjod, a nano-organic-mineral fertilizer, was supplied by the producer, PHU Jeznach Ltd., Poland. The soil, used for filling 5-litre pots and in field plots was characterized as podzolic. To demonstrate the beneficial effect of applied fertilizers regardless of the climate and conditions of sorghum cultivation, the studies were performed in diverse weather conditions in Central Poland, where the plants were cultivated in 5 L pots and also in the north of the country in a field. In Central Poland, the temperature in July usually fluctuates from 8 to 32°C, average annual precipitation is 528.3 mm and more frequent sunny days with drier air are noted than in North Poland where the average temperature ranges from 11 to 21°C, precipitation reaches 655 mm and moist air from the nearby Baltic Sea is observed. All soil and plant treatments and their assessments were performed over the same time period. The research was performed simultaneously in three experimental blocks, all in the two localities mentioned above and in 3 repetitions. In the second decade of April, the soil in each block was enriched with the synthetic fertilizer YaraMila Complex (YMC) at a dose of 0, 150 or 300 kg ha, the latter one was recommended by the producer. Each block, was fertilized to a different extent with YMC, and consisted of 8 plots, each containing 10 plants grown separately in 5 L pots (pot experiment in Central Poland) or 6 plots with a size of 3x3 m (field experiment in North Poland). At the end of April, the soil in each subsequent plot within every block was fertilized as follows: ASH FROM JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE AND BIO-PREPARATIONS ENHANCE THE GROWTH OF SORGHUM 367

international agrophysics

Ash from Jerusalem artichoke and biopreparations enhance the growth and physiological activity of sorghum and limit environmental pollution by decreasing artificial fertilization needs