increased up to 20tlha ash addition, and declined thereafter but still higher than the yield under ..... 8 Singh N B & Singh M, Effect of fly ash application on saline.
Journal of Scientific & Industrial Research Vol. 61, August 2002, pp 617-620
Soil Physical and Chemical Properties as Influenced by Flyash Addition in Soil and Yield of Wheat * . t S K Sharma, Naveen Kalra ** and G R Smgh
'National Physical Laboratory, Dr K S Krishnan Marg. New Delhi 110 012 "Division of Environmental Sciences, IARI, New Delhi 110012 tCCR (PG) College. Muzaffamagar. Uttar Pradesh Received: II March 2002 ; accepted: 03 May 2002 Field experiments were conducted in villages around National Capital Power Project (NCPP), Dadri, Uttar Pradesh and Indian Agricultural Research Institute (lARI) Farm, New Delhi during 1995-96 to evaluate flyash addition effects on soil environment and yield of wheat crop (Triticum aestivulII L.). Flyash application levels were up to 50tlha. Yield of wheat increased up to 20tlha ash addition, and declined thereafter but still higher than the yield under no flyash addition treatment. Flyash treated plots had marginally higher uptake of trace elements. Flyash application in soil showed reduced hydraulic conductivity and improved moisture retention at field capacity and permanent wilting point. The pH value of soil decreased, whereas electrical conductivity, organic carbon and sodium increased in accordance with flyash addition in soil. Phosphorous , potassium and calcium decreased in flyash treated plots. The changes in soil properties might be due to modifications in the macro- and micro pore size distribution which contributed to increased yield of wheat.
Introduction
A
Flyash is byproduct of thermal power plants, which was produced during burning of coal for energy purpose is a major concern. This material is used in manufacturing of bricks, cements, ceiling and other civil construction activities, but its consumption is limited. It can also be used as soil conditioner to improve the soil physical and chemical environment depending on nature of soil and ash. However, these producers do not utilize major portion of ash, and thus Thermal Power Stations have to manage for their storage but with minimal air and water pollution associated with it. There is a need to evaluate the effect of f1yash on soil environment and growth and yield of agricultural crops I. Studies conducted in the past at various places to evaluate the impact of flyash on soil health and productivity of crops, but most of them were confined in the laboratories or research 2 farms . 8. This study deals with flyash incorporation effects in soil physical and chemical properties and *Author to whom corresponds e-mail: sudhir @csnpl.ren .nic.in
yield of wheat crop in farmers' fields at Gulawathi and Muthiani villages around National Capital Power Project (NCPP), Dadri and Indian Agricultural Research Institute (lARI) Farm, New Delhi.
Materials and Methods Field experiments were conducted during 199596 with wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grown under various levels of flyash added in the soil at Gulawathi and Muthiani villages and lARI Farm. Soils of the test sites and flyash used in the study were analyzed for their physical and chemical characteristics as suggested by Hanway and Heidal 9 and Jackson 1o . Surface soil samples (0-30 cm) of each location were collected, analyzed, and averaged for sites' characterization. Wheat cultivars (cv. HD 2285 and HD 2329) were tested for three levels flyash, i.e., no ash added (NFA), and FA at 10 and 20 tJha at Gulawathi and Muthiani villages. Cultivar HD 2285 was grown under six f1yash levels (NFA, FA at 5, 10, IS , 20, and 50tJha) at IARI farm. Flyash was mixed with the soil at the time of sowing, i.e., last week of November for all locations, excepting first fortnight of December at Gulawathi village.
618
J SC I INO RES VOL 61 AUGUST 2002
Ferti li zers, irrigation scheduling, spac ing, and inter-culture operations were fo ll owed as per normal agronomic recommendations . Above ground biomass and g rai n yie ld were recorded at harvest for a ll treatments. Trace elements (Zn, Cu, Fe, Mn, a nd Cd) uptake by gra in s was ana lyzed by following standard techniques of digestion a nd usin g Atomic Absorption lo Spectro-photometer . At harves t of wheat, bulk density, saturated hydraulic conductivity, moisture reta ined at field capacity and pe rmane nt wilting point, pH, electrical conductivity, organic carbon, sodi um, calc ium and avai lab le N, P , K were analyzed for the surface soi l (0-30 cm, upper layer of so il ) for a ll . treatments, fo ll owIllg the standard metho ds 11·1 5 . Statistica l ana lyses were carri ed out to establi sh the effects o f f1yash addition o n soil physica l and c hem ical propert ies and wheat yie ld .
Results and Discussion Flyash and Soil Characteristics Flyash used in the study comprised of about 69 per cent si lt and clay size fractions . Low value of its particle density established its potenti a l for dust formation I . High water holding capacity of ash was due to silt a nd clay size fractions dominancy. Flyash contained about 93 per cent of si lica, Ah03. and Fe20 3. Physica l and chemical c haracteristics of top soil layer (0-30 cm) at different locations (different study sites) are given in Table 1. Table 1- Soil properties (0-30 cm) of experimental sites before sowing wheat Parameters
IAR! farm
Muthiani
Gulawathi
Soil tex ture
Sandy loam
Sandy loam
Sandy loam
Bulk den sity (Mg/m3)
1.51
1.48
1.49
FC (pe r cent . w/w)
13.9
16. 1
16.7
WP (per cent. w/w)
5.7
5.2
5. 1
Avai lable water
1.24
1.61
1.73
PH
8.48
8.74
9.09
EC (mmhos/cm)
0.293
0.203
0.298
OC (per cent)
0.288
0.446
0.450
Nitrogen (ppm)
140
84
108
Potassium (ppm)
204
106
268
Phosphorous (kg/ha)
8.85
2.67
3.78
(mmlcm)
Crop Growth Response At Gulawathi , gra in y ie ld and biomass at harvest were low due to late sow ing, but increase in trend was noticed w ith an application up to 20 tJha. The val ues were sign ificantly differe nt over NFA for HD 2285 o nly. Yie ld increased by 26.5 and 10.0 kg/tJha ash over NFA va lues of 2.14 tJha and 2.03 tJha for HD 2285 a nd HD 2329, respective ly. Corresponding va lues for above g round biomass at harvest were 75 and 25 kgftJha . At Muthi ani, yield and bi o mass increased w ith f1yash , wi th biomass values for FA at 10 and 20 tJha, on ly showing signi ficant hi g her va lues over NFA. At IARI farm, yie ld a nd biomass increased continuous ly w ith ash level a nd was 12.2 per cent and 15.6 per cent highe r under FA at 20 tJha over NFA values of 3.52 tJha and 9.54 tfha, respec ti ve ly. Thereafter, with increased ash level to 50 tJha decli ning trends in both the growth para meters were not iced , but even at this level the values were higher by 4.5 pe r cent a nd 7.1 per cent over NFA.
Trace Elelll.ellts Uptake T race e le me nts , like Zn, C u, Fe, Mn, and Cd, were used as hea vy meta ls ind icators by crop grown under f1ya sh added soil. The uptake by g rains at harvest of wheat unde r d iffere nt treatment is reported in T ab le 2. Non -sig ni ficant higher uptake of these metal s in f1yash treated plots was due to their presence in oxide form and so insolubl e in water for l3 becoming readily avai lable for their uptake .
Changes ill Soil Physical and Chemical Environment Flyash treated plots tended to have lo wer bulk density (BD) of surface soil (0-30 cm), though the differe nces over NFA were non-significant at all the rest sites fo r whea t crop (Table 3). At harvest of wheat in the IARI Farm, BD va lues reduced over NFA by 5.9 per cent under FA at 50 tJha treatment. This might be due to changes in total porosity as well as modifications in rore size distribution, as reported by Adriano et al. I and Chang et al. 17. Saturated hydraulic conductivity (HC) was signific~ntly reduced in f1yash treated plots at a ll the locatIon s, pri marily due to increased macro-pores, even when small amount of f1yash was added in the soil. At harvest of wheat crop in the IARI farm the HC va lue reduced unde r FA at 50 tJha over NFA by 8.8. Modifications in the pore size distribution by add ing f1yash had pronounced influence on fi e ld capaci ty
619
SHARMA el at.: SOIL PHYSICAL & CHEMICA L PROPERTIES
Table 2 )r
Metal uptake by wheat grains under different flyash app li cation treatments Concentration (ppm)
Flyash level (Uha)
Location
Gulawathi
Muthiani
IARI Farm
Zn
Cu
Fe
Mn
Cd
o
38.4
5.7
762.3
15.8
N.D.
10
41.6
6. 1
809.8
20.1
0.4
20
39.8
7.3
8 19.8
20.2
0.5
o
40.4
5.3
6 12. 1
23 .4
0.3
10
44.6
5.8
663 .3
30.8
0.4
6. 1
683.3
27. 1
0.5
20
46.6
o
31.4
5.2
620.9
16.9
0.6
20
34.3
4.8
634.6
18.0
0.9
50
38.2
5.3
631.5
22.0
1.1
Note: CD at 5 per cent levels is insignificant Table 3 - Soil physical and chemical properties as influenced by fl yash addition at study sites after wheat harvest Ash level (Uha)
HC (c mld)
FC WP Avai lable (per cent, (per cent, water w/w) w/w) (mmlcm)
pH
EC (mmhos/ cm)
OC (per cent)
Na
Ca K (ppm)
N
P (kg/ha)
Gulawathi village
o
1.49
6.80
16.7
5. 1
1.728
9.63
0.415
0.343
885 2035
225
I 18
3.56
10
1.45
6.59
17.2
5.6
1.711
9.57
0.453
0.355
905 2015
235
11 2
3.95
20
1.40
6.30
17.4
5.7
1.638
9.30
0.456
0.358
924
1980
196
109
3.33
CD, S per cent level
0.12
0.23
0.34
0.34
0.018
0.27
0.032
0.011
29
109
21
12
0. 13
o
1.52
7.50
17. 1
6.2
1.657
8.91
0.442
0.323
560 2040
140
11 2
2.84
10
1.50
7.2 1
17.5
6.6
1.680
8.7 1
0.491
0.324
660
1875
130
105
3.24
20
1.48
7. 11
17.9
6.9
1.687
8.73
0.487
0.334
580
1980
125
11 8
3.26
CD, S per cent level
0. 14
0.31
0.46
0.37
0.019
0. 15
0.047
0.013
32
125
23
16
0.14
o
1.53
10.2 1
13.9
5.9
1.224
8.78
0.354
0.305
175
1725
170
126
9.33
10
1.50
9.91
14.4
6.2
1.23 0
8.70
0.376
0.319
195
1582
155
11 8
9.34
20
1.46
9.6 1
15.0
6.5
1.241
8.53
0.4 12
0.325
220
1575
145
128
8.96
50
1.44
9.3 1
15.3
6.6
1.253
8.35
0.432
0.353
24 1 1565
140
135
9.00
CD,S per cent level
0. 11
0.22
0.23
0. 17
0.015
0.12
0.023
0.024
18
25
0.17
Muthiani village
IARI Farm
J.
(Fe) and wilting po int (WP). At all the locati ons, Fe and WP values increased in accordance with the amount of ash added in the soi l. Since both Fe and WP values got elevated by f1ya sh addition, the avai lable water va lues (the difference betwee n the two) were more or less similar under different treatments. pH va lue dec reased, whereas e lectrical conductivity (EC) increased, in accordance wi th the amounts of as h added in the soil (Table 2). Organic carbon (Oe) and sodium increased with f1 yas h
18
136
addition, whereas phosphorous, potassium, and calcium decreased . The response varied, depending upon soi l as well as h amount and characteristics. Keep ing in view the hi gh buffering capacity of soil , it also becomes important to work out time up to which any characteristics change persists.
Conclusions Flyash application in soil modifi ed the physical and chemical properties of soil and growth and yield
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J SCIIND RES VOL 61 AUGUST 2002
of wheat. At prevailing ash/dust fall rates in villages around NCPP, growth and yield of wheat crop increased, but the results need to be established in a well designed long-term experiment. The trace elements uptake by the wheat grains had marginally higher under different treatment, but values were insignificant. Fate of trace/heavy metals in soil-waterplant system by f1yash addition has to be investigated.
8
(2) ( 1986) 245·257. 9
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10
Jackson M L, Soi l chemical analysis (Prentice Hall of India Pvt Ltd, New Delhi) 1973.
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Black G R. Bulk density, Methods of soil analysis, Part I, Agronomy, Am Soc Ag roll Madison. Wisxonsin. 9 (\ 966)
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