Premium
Elemental Composition of Barley and Ryegrass Grown on Acid Soils Amended with Scrubber Sludge
Author(s) -
Walker W. J.,
Dowdy R. H.
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
journal of environmental quality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1537-2537
pISSN - 0047-2425
DOI - 10.2134/jeq1980.00472425000900010008x
Subject(s) - loam , hordeum vulgare , agronomy , soil water , chemistry , amendment , secale , sewage sludge , lolium perenne , fly ash , environmental chemistry , environmental science , poaceae , environmental engineering , soil science , biology , sewage treatment , organic chemistry , political science , law
A greenhouse study assessed barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.) and ryegrass ( Secale cereale L.) growth on two acid soils amended with scrubber sludge from a coal‐fired, power‐generating plant. The scrubber sludge was the residue from flue gas desulfurization, which included unburned airborne particulates (fly ash). The feasibility of using this material as a soil amendment was investigated since both the source, low‐sulfur western coal, and the process by which this material was generated differ markedly from fly ashes used in many reported studies. Of particular interest were the effects of scrubber sludge applications on boron and selenium concentrations of barley and ryegrass. Soils used were a coarse sand, Typic Hapludalf (pH = 4.8), and a silt loam, Udorthentic Haploboroll (pH = 5.7). Scrubber sludge application rates ranged from 0 to 100 g sludge/kg soil. Dry matter production for 6 weeks of growth was depressed for barley and ryegrass when applications exceeded 12.5 g sludge/kg soil. Soil pH increased from 4.8 to 7.2 in the coarse sand and from 5.7 to 7.6 in the silt loam by applications of 100 g sludge/kg soil. Yield reductions for barley and ryegrass were attributed to high concentrations of tissue B, which ranged from 12 µ g/g on control treatments to 150 and 2,000 µ g/g on soils receiving 6.25 and 100 g sludge/kg soil, respectively. Tissue Se increased with added sludge, while Mn and Zn contents decreased, without reaching toxic or deficiency levels, respectively. Tissue Cd, Cu, P, and Pb levels fluctuated from soil to soil and crop to crop without approaching deficiency or toxicity levels.