Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-m6dg7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-03T05:05:23.512Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effects of pulverized fuel ash on the moisture characteristics of coarse-textured soils and on crop yields

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

P. J. Salter ,
D. S. Webb  and
J. B. Williams
P. J. Salter
Affiliation:
National Vegetable Research Station, Wellesbourne, Warwick
D. S. Webb
Affiliation:
National Vegetable Research Station, Wellesbourne, Warwick
J. B. Williams
Affiliation:
National Vegetable Research Station, Wellesbourne, Warwick
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

In field experiments carried out over a period of three years studies were made of the effects on soil moisture characteristics and crop yields of incorporating pulverized fuel ash into the surface 30 cm of a sandy loam and a coarse sand. Ash from two different sources was used at rates equivalent to 0, 125, 251, 502 and 753 t/ha and crops of carrots, lettuce, radish and red beet were grown.

On every occasion when determinations were made the available-water capacities of the soils treated with 251 t/ha or more of ash were greater than the untreated soils; the largest increase (93%) was obtained with the highest rate of ash. Moisture release characteristics indicated that the increased amount of available water was retained in the soils at matric suctions between 0·05 and 1·0 atmospheres.

Despite the increased amount of available water retained in these soils there was generally no beneficial effect on crop growth and yields.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 77 , Issue 1 , August 1971 , pp. 53 - 60
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1971

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Gorfinkiel, E. & Pollard, A. G. (1952). A modified procedure for determining boron in plant material and soils using 1: l'-dianthrimide. J. Sci. Fd Agric. 3, 622–4.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hanley, F. (1954). Agriculture of the sand lands. Bull. Minist. Agric. Fish Fd No. 163, 1–49.Google Scholar
Hodgson, D. R. & Holliday, R. (1966). The agronomic properties of pulverised fuel ash. Ghemy Ind., No. 20, 785–90.Google Scholar
Holliday, R., Hodgson, D. R., Townsend, W. N. & Wood, J. W. (1958). Plant growth on ‘fly ash’. Nature, Lond. 181, 1079–80.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Salter, P. J. (1967). Methods of determining the moisture characteristics of soils. Expl Agric. 3, 163–73.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Salter, P. J., Berry, G. & Williams, J. B. (1966). The influence of texture on the moisture characteristics of soils. III. Quantitative relationships between particle size composition and available-water capacity J. Soil Sci. 17, 93–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Salter, P. J., Berry, G. & Williams, J. B. (1967). The effect of farmyard manure on matric suctions prevailing in a sandy loam soil. J. Soil Sci. 18, 318–28.Google Scholar
Salter, P. J. & Williams, J. B. (1967). Effects of pulverized fuel ash on the moisture characteristics of soil, Nature, Lond. 213, 1157–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stamp, L. D. (1962). The Land of Britain, its Use and Misuse, 3rd edn.London: Longmans.Google Scholar
Watt, J. D. & Thorne, D. J. (1965). Composition and pozzolanic properties of pulverised fuel ashes. 1. Composition of fly ashes from some British power stations and properties of their component particles. J. appl. Chem., Lond. 15, 585–94.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Webb, D. S. (1970). The modification of soil texture by addition of pulverised fuel ash. Rep. naln. Veg. Res. Stnfor 1969, 82–4.Google Scholar