Field and laboratory responses of earthworms to use of wood ash as a forest soil amendment

Pugliese, S., Jones, T., Preston, M. D., Hazlett, P., Tran, H. and Basiliko, N. 2014. Wood ash as a forest soil amendment: The role of boiler and soil type on soil property response. Can. J. Soil Sci. 94: 621–634. Wood ash is produced in large quantities in Canada as a by-product of the pulp and paper, sawmill, and bioenergy industries and it is anticipated that its disposal in landfills will not be a viable option. An alternative option may be to use it to amend forest soils. Wood ash is a complex mixture and its composition depends on several variables, including the combustion parameters of the boiler in which it is generated. We present an analysis of the amendment of two Canadian forest soils (a Brunisol from the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence and a Luvisol from the Carolinian forest regions of Ontario) with six different wood ashes collected from different biomass boilers through short-term controlled incubations. We show that following an 8-wk incubation period, amendment of the soils with wood ash led to small to moderate increases in soil pH, but had little effect on soil microbial activity and biomass. The concentration of important base cations such as calcium, magnesium and potassium as well as phosphorus generally increased in both soil types following amendment with different ash. This practice can return nutrients lost from forest ecosystems during harvesting; however, effects were found to be boiler-specific. Lastly, we show that four ash types led to small increases in cadmium in either soil; the concentration of all other measured heavy metals was not significantly increased following amendment, and in certain cases decreased, particularly with lead. The only potentially negative aspect encountered was elevated sodium, particularly with ash from one boiler, but unacceptable Na-absorptivity ratios were not exceeded. These results demonstrate that with proper characterization and selection of wood ash type and application rates, amendment of Canadian forest soils with wood ash may benefit forest ecosystems and is unlikely to disrupt the chemical and biological processes in soil environments.

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Effects of Non-Industrial Wood Ash (NIWA) Applications on Soil Chemistry and Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum, Marsh.) Seedling Growth in an Acidic Sugar Bush in Central Ontario

Forests ◽

10.3390/f11060693 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 693

Author(s):

Holly D. Deighton ◽

Shaun A. Watmough

Keyword(s):

Forest Soil ◽

Seedling Growth ◽

Soil Ph ◽

Soil Chemistry ◽

Acer Saccharum ◽

Soil Amendment ◽

Sugar Maple ◽

Base Cation ◽

Yellow Birch ◽

Metal Concentrations

Research Highlights: In central Ontario, large quantities of non-industrial wood ash (NIWA) are generated and could be used as a forest soil amendment to counteract soil acidification and base cation depletion caused by decades of acid deposition. Background and Objectives: The properties and biogeochemical responses of NIWA have not been thoroughly explored, and field experiments must be conducted before NIWA can be regulated as a forest soil amendment in Ontario. Materials and Methods: In this study, soil chemistry and sugar maple (Acer saccharum, Marsh.) seedling growth and chemistry were measured in an acidic sugar bush over twelve months following a NIWA field experiment. Plots (2 m by 2 m) were established with sugar maple, white pine (Pinus strobus L.), and yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britt.) NIWA treatments applied at rates of 6 Mg ha−1 along with untreated control plots. Results: Ash chemistry varied significantly among species and yellow birch ash generally had much higher metal concentrations compared with other species. Following ash application, significant increases in soil pH and calcium and magnesium concentrations were observed, however the level of response varied by treatment. Foliar concentrations of base cations in sugar maple seedlings significantly increased in ash treatments and there was no significant treatment effect on foliar metal concentrations or seedling growth. In roots and shoots, concentrations of several metals (manganese, aluminum, iron, boron, arsenic, cadmium, zinc, copper, lead, chromium, and nickel) increased after ash application, however response was most pronounced in yellow birch ash. Conclusions: These results suggest that application of NIWA can counteract the lasting effects of acid rain by increasing soil pH and base cation concentrations, as well as increasing sugar maple seedling foliar nutrient concentrations, but ashes from species with high metal contents may also increase metal availability to vegetation, at least in the short-term.

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Utilization of steel, pulp and paper industry solid residues in forest soil amendment: Relevant physicochemical properties and heavy metal availability

Journal of Hazardous Materials ◽

10.1016/j.jhazmat.2011.02.015 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 207-208 ◽

pp. 21-27 ◽

Cited By ~ 34

Author(s):

Mikko Mäkelä ◽

Gary Watkins ◽

Risto Pöykiö ◽

Hannu Nurmesniemi ◽

Olli Dahl

Keyword(s):

Heavy Metal ◽

Physicochemical Properties ◽

Forest Soil ◽

Soil Amendment ◽

Paper Industry ◽

Pulp And Paper Industry ◽

Pulp And Paper ◽

Metal Availability

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Soil microbial response to wood ash or lime applied to annual crops and perennial grass in an acid soil of northwestern Alberta

Canadian Journal of Soil Science ◽

10.4141/cjss08007 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 89 (2) ◽

pp. 169-177 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

N Z Lupwayi ◽

M A Arshad ◽

R H Azooz ◽

Y K Soon

Keyword(s):

Microbial Biomass ◽

Functional Diversity ◽

Soil Amendment ◽

Soil Acidity ◽

Acid Soils ◽

Wood Ash ◽

Bulk Soil ◽

C Mineralization ◽

Soil Microbial ◽

Annual Crops

More than 90% of acid soils in western Canada are in Alberta, yet the use of agricultural lime is limited because it is expensive. Wood ash, a by-product of pulp and lumber mills, can be used for liming acid soils. We investigated the effects of amending an acid Luvisol with wood ash or lime on soil microbiological properties at Beaverlodge, Alberta. Both soil amendments were applied at a calcium carbonate rate of 6.72 t ha-1, which was 8.40 t ha-1 for wood ash and 7.47 t ha-1 for lime, in 2002. Soil microbial biomass C (MBC) and the functional diversity and community structures of soil bacteria (indicated by substrate utilization patterns) were measured from 2002 to 2005 under barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), canola (Brassica napus L.), field pea (Pisum sativum L.), and timothy grass (Phleum pratense L.). In the rhizosphere, wood ash increased soil MBC between 2.4-fold in 2002 and 1.3-fold in 2005, and lime increased MBC from 3.2-fold in 2002 to 1.3-fold in 2005. In bulk soil, the increases in MBC ranged from 3.0-fold in 2003 to 1.8-fold in 2005 for wood ash, and from 4.9-fold in 2002 to 2.0-fold in 2005 for lime. Crop effects on MBC were not consistent. Because annual crops were grown in rotation, it is possible that the results obtained in one crop were confounded by effects of the preceding crop. In 2003 and 2004, both amendments increased Shannon index (H’) of bacterial functional diversity in the rhizosphere, and similar results were observed in 2005 in bulk soil. Shifts in the functional structure of bacterial communities due to soil amendment were observed in bulk soil, and shifts due to crop effects were observed in the rhizosphere. In 2003, the average soil pH(CaCl2) increased from 4.91 in control treatments of different crops to 6.60 in lime-amended plots and 6.70 in wood ash-amended plots. In 2004, both wood ash and lime significantly increased soil C mineralization (up to 10 d incubation), but basal respiration (11-24 d incubation) was not affected. The large effect (up to about fivefold) of soil amendments on MBC implies that soil acidity is a major limiting factor for biological processes and the productivity of some Luvisolic soils in Alberta. Wood ash could be used to alleviate these limitations. Key words: C mineralization, microbial diversity, microbial biomass, soil amendment, soil acidity

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Effects of Soil Amendment With Wood Ash on Transpiration, Growth, and Metal Uptake in Two Contrasting Maize (Zea mays L.) Hybrids to Drought Tolerance

Frontiers in Plant Science ◽

10.3389/fpls.2021.661909 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Leila Romdhane ◽

Leonard Barnabas Ebinezer ◽

Anna Panozzo ◽

Giuseppe Barion ◽

Cristian Dal Cortivo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Drought Tolerance ◽

Root Growth ◽

Soil Amendment ◽

Mineral Elements ◽

Wood Ash ◽

Growth And Yield ◽

Drought Severity ◽

Drought Tolerant ◽

Leaf Transpiration ◽

Top Soil

Wood ash as a soil amendment has gained wide spread acceptance in the recent years as a sustainable alternative to chemical fertilizers, although information regarding the effects of its application on maize growth and yield in the context of climate change and increasing drought severity is lacking till date. In the present study, field and pot trials were carried out at the experimental farm of the University of Padova at Legnaro (NE Italy) in a silty-loam soil in order to investigate the effects of soil amendment with wood ash (0.1% w/w, incorporated into the 0.2-m top soil) on the bioavailability of mineral elements and their uptake by maize. Characteristics analyzed included plant growth, leaf transpiration dynamics, and productivity in two contrasting hybrids, P1921 (drought sensitive) and D24 (drought tolerant). Wood ash contained relevant amounts of Ca, K, Mg, P, and S, and hazardous levels of Zn (732 mg kg−1), Pb (527 mg kg−1), and Cu (129 mg kg−1), although no significant changes in total soil element concentration, pH, and electrical conductivity were detected in open field. Ash application led to a general increasing trend of diethylene triamine penta-acetic acid (DTPA)-extractable of various elements, bringing to higher grain P in D24 hybrid, and Zn and Ni reductions in P1921 hybrid. Here, the results demonstrated that ash amendment enhanced shoot growth and the number of leaves, causing a reduction of harvest index, without affecting grain yield in both hybrids. The most relevant result was a retarded inhibition of leaf transpiration under artificial progressive water stress, particularly in the drought-tolerant D24 hybrid that could be sustained by root growth improvements in the field across the whole 0–1.5 m soil profile in D24, and in the amended top soil in P1921. It is concluded that woody ash can be profitably exploited in maize fertilization for enhancing shoot and root growth and drought tolerance, thanks to morphological and physiological improvements, although major benefits are expected to be achieved in drought tolerant hybrids. Attention should be payed when using ash derived by metal contaminated wood stocks to avoid any health risk in food uses.

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Measurement of Physicochemical Properties, Electrical and Thermal Conductivity of Wood Ash for Effective Soil Amendment

INDONESIAN JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS ◽

10.13057/ijap.v11i2.47345 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 176

Author(s):

M O Kanu ◽

Gabriel Wirdzelii Joseph ◽

Israel George

Keyword(s):

Thermal Conductivity ◽

Electrical Conductivity ◽

Plant Growth ◽

Physicochemical Properties ◽

Physical Properties ◽

Soil Amendment ◽

Agricultural Soils ◽

Wood Ash ◽

Heat Energy ◽

Total Dissolved Solid

The ability of the soil to regulate heat energy is important for plant growth, soil texture and strength. Many agricultural soils are acidic in nature which tends to limit plant growth and microbial activity. Aside from agricultural lime, wood ash is used to amend physical and physicochemical properties of the soil. To maintain the soil hydraulic and physicochemical properties and to increase plant yield, it is important to know the physicochemical and physical properties of the ash used. The physiochemical and physical properties vary across various plant species. Ash samples from seven different plants were used for this study. The Horiba metre was used to measure the electrical conductivity, pH, Total Dissolved Solid (TDS) and salinity of the samples, while the Lees Disc apparatus was used to measure the thermal conductivity of the samples. The study revealed that moringa olieferra ash has the highest salinity, TDS and Electrical conductivity, while azadichta indica and tiobroma cacoa have least pH. Also, Kyah seleelygalisis and azadichta indica had the highest and lowest thermal conductivity respectively.

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