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Evaluation of Beneficial Use of Wood‐Fired Boiler Ash on Oat and Bean Growth
Author(s) -
Krejsl J. A.,
Scanlon T. M.
Publication year - 1996
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/jeq1996.00472425002500050004x
Subject(s) - lime , wood ash , loam , avena , agronomy , dry matter , phaseolus , soil water , chemistry , soil ph , shoot , nutrient , horticulture , zoology , environmental science , biology , materials science , metallurgy , soil science , organic chemistry
An evaluation on the effects of pulp and paper mill combined boiler ashes on growth and nutrient uptake by oat ( Avena sativa L., var. 501) and bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris L., var. blue pole) was conducted in a greenhouse. Ash with a calcium carbonate equivalent of 29.1% and a pH of 12.1 was applied at the rates 30, 40, and 50 dry Mg ha −1 to Chehalis silty clay loam (fine‐silty, mixed, mesic Cumulic Ultic Haploxerolls), with pH 5.4. An agricultural dolomitic lime treatment of 7.4 Mg ha −1 and a nonamended control were also included. Plants grown on ash‐amended soil had higher biomass compared to plants grown on lime and control treatments. Ash treatments 30, 40, and 50 dry Mg ha −1 increased the bean (stems and leaves) dry matter (DM) yield over the control by 49, 57, and 64%, respectively. The lime treatment increased the bean DM yield by 31% compared with the control. The ash rate 30 dry Mg ha −1 , equivalent to the recommended agronomic lime rate 7.4 Mg ha −1 , increased oat (shoots) DM yields over the control by 45%, while the lime treatment increased biomass by 8% over control. The highest ash treatment, 50 Mg ha −1 , produced the lowest oat biomass. The ash was as effective as dolomitic lime in raising soil pH. Ash‐amended soils contained higher concentrations of P, S, and B for plant growth compared to lime and nonamended soils. Soil Zn, Fe, Mn, and Cu concentrations decreased as ash application rates increased. Oat and bean plants grown in the ash‐amended soil had increased concentrations of K, S, and B and decreased concentrations of Mn and Cu compared with plants grown in the nonamended control soil. Overall, oat and bean benefited from the increased nutrient availability and soil pH caused by the application of boiler ash.