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The Agricultural Potential of Dredged Materials as Evaluated by Elemental Composition of Growing Plants
Author(s) -
Combs S. M.,
Dowdy R. H.,
Gupta S. C.,
Larson W. E.,
Gast R. G.
Publication year - 1983
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/jeq1983.00472425001200030015x
Subject(s) - lolium multiflorum , soil water , dry matter , hordeum vulgare , agronomy , chemistry , composition (language) , amendment , lolium , organic matter , poaceae , environmental chemistry , biology , ecology , linguistics , philosophy , organic chemistry , political science , law
The potential for using dredged materials (DM) as a plant growth medium and as an amendment for marginally productive agricultural soils was evaluated by studying the elemental composition of plants grown on DM and soil‐DM admixtures. Barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.) and ryegrass ( Lolium multiflorum Lam.) grown on selected DM produced dry matter nearly equal to that of plants grown on Minnesota agricultural soils in the greenhouse. Plant growth on some sediments was limited by suspected P and Mg deficiencies. Reduced, species‐dependent dry matter production was correlated with excessive tissue concentrations of Al, B, Cu, Mn, and/or Zn. Additions of fine‐textured DM to coarse‐textured, marginally productive soils resulted in increased dry matter production, while additions of coarse‐textured DM to fine‐textured soils reduced their yields. Barley was generally more susceptible to growth depressions than ryegrass. Barley and ryegrass grown on some DM contained toxic levels of B (244 µ g/g), Cu (39 µ g/g), Mn (643 µ g/g), and Zn (292 µ g/g). Plant Zn was significantly correlated with sediment Zn concentrations, and was dependent upon pH and the Zn associated with extractable iron oxides. Barley generally accumulated more Cd than ryegrass. Additions of fine‐textured DM to coarse‐textured, marginally productive soils resulted in species‐dependent, increased elemental accumulations in barley and ryegrass. Additions of coarse‐textured DM to corresponding fine‐textured soils did not affect plant compositions.