Potential of developing podzolic soil-based potting media from wood ash, paper sludge and biochar

Canadian environmental policies are aimed at reducing by 50%. the quantities of refuses intended for landfill by year 2000. In this perspective, landspreading and composting biosolids have been investigated as solutions. Paper sludges, wood wastes, and municipal solid wastes (MSW) are important components of landfill biosolids, but they are attractive by-products for agricultural use. Research projects were initiated to characterize the paper sludges produced by Daishowa Co. in Quebec City, wood wastes produced by Hydro-Quebec, and MSW composts produced from waste treatment at RITDM (Chertsey) and Conporec (Sorel). De-inked paper sludge and wood wastes have been landspreaded for growing potato and landscaping, whereas composted paper sludges have been evaluated as part of potting media for growing greenhouse plants and landspreaded for turfgrass production. The chemical and biological characteristics of these biosolids were investigated for their fertilization potential and their effect on plant growth.

Download Full-text

Use of De-inked Paper Sludge in Potting Mixes for Geranium and Zinnia Production

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.33.3.464e ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 33 (3) ◽

pp. 464e-465

Author(s):

Robert R. Tripepi ◽

Charlyn A. Koehn

Keyword(s):

Cation Exchange Capacity ◽

Dry Weight ◽

Exchange Capacity ◽

Plant Production ◽

Paper Sludge ◽

Shoot Dry Weight ◽

Bedding Plant ◽

Potting Media ◽

The Media ◽

Average Plant

De-inked paper sludge from newsprint recycling was evaluated as an alternative amendment in bedding plant production. `Sweet Dreams' geranium (Pelargonium × hortorum) and `Crystal White' zinnia (Zinnia angustifolia) were grown in square 10-cm pots in one of five media. Media contained 0%, 20%, 40%, 60%, or 80% de-inked paper sludge by volume. All mixes contained 10% perlite, and peatmoss was used to bring the volume to 100%. Initial chemical and physical characteristics of the media were determined. Plants were grown in a greenhouse for 8 weeks, and then plant height, shoot dry weight, and average plant width were determined. Media containing 20% or less paper sludge had an average pH of 4.4, whereas those containing more sludge had an average pH of 7.0. Cation exchange capacity of the media decreased significantly as the volume of sludge increased. Media containing 60% or more paper sludge were better aerated, but held less water than those made with 40% or less de-inked sludge. Geraniums grown in 20% or less paper sludge were at least 18% taller than those grown in medium containing 40% or more de-inked sludge, but average dry weights and plant widths of these plants were unaffected by the media. Zinnia plants grown in 20% or less paper sludge produced four times more shoot dry weight and were at least 34% taller and 20% wider than those grown in 40% or more sludge. Overall, zinnias grown in 40% or more sludge were unacceptable for commercial sale. A volume of 20% de-inked paper sludge could safely be included in potting media used for production of `Sweet Dreams' geranium and `Crystal White' zinnia.

Download Full-text

220 Growth of Evergreen Shrubs in Potting Mixes Made with De-inked Paper Sludge

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.35.3.429a ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 35 (3) ◽

pp. 429A-429

Author(s):

Robert R. Tripepi ◽

Mary W. George

Keyword(s):

Paper Sludge ◽

Rooted Cuttings ◽

Potting Media ◽

Evergreen Shrubs ◽

Average Plant

De-inked paper sludge from a newsprint mill was evaluated as a substitute for sofwood bark in container media. Rooted cuttings of `Youngstown' juniper (Juniperus horizonatlis), Fraser photinia (Photinia × fraseri), and `PJM' rhododendron (Rhododendron) were planted in 3-L plastic pots that contained potting media amended with 0%, 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, or 90% paper sludge and 80%, 60%, 40%, 20%, or 0%, respectively, bark (by volume). All mixes contained 10% sand and 10% peatmoss except for the 90% mix, which lacked peatmoss. After 19 weeks, plant heights were measured for photinia and rhododendron, but average plant width was measured for juniper. Shoot dry weights were also determined for all species. Juniper and photinia seemed to be the most tolerant of media amended with up to 40% paper sludge, whereas rhododendron was the most intolerant species. Shoot dry weights of juniper or photinia were similar for plants grown in media containing 40% or less paper sludge. Shoot dry weights of rhododendron plants grown in 40% sludge were 23% lower than those grown in 0% or 20% paper sludge, which were similar to each other. Plant heights followed similar trends to those of the shoot dry weights. With the exception of juniper, shoot dry weights and heights were drastically reduced if the potting mixes contained more than 40% paper sludge. These results demonstrated that de-inked paper sludge could be substituted for up to 40% of the bark in a container medium for two of the three species tested.

Download Full-text

Five-year growth response of western red cedar, western hemlock, and amabilis fir to chemical and organic fertilizers

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/x98-109 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 28 (9) ◽

pp. 1328-1334 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

C E Prescott ◽

S M Brown

Keyword(s):

Wood Ash ◽

Tsuga Heterophylla ◽

Pulp And Paper ◽

Organic Fertilizers ◽

Western Hemlock ◽

Thuja Plicata ◽

Paper Sludge ◽

Growth Responses ◽

Red Cedar ◽

Western Red Cedar

The hypothesis that growth responses of conifers to application of organic fertilizers are of longer duration than responses to chemical fertilizers was tested in two trials on northern Vancouver Island. Both trials were in 10-year-old plantations of conifers on a salal-dominated cutover known to have poor N supply. In Trial 1, western red cedar (Thuja plicata Donn ex D. Don), western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.), and amabilis fir (Abies amabilis (Dougl.) Forbes) were treated with municipal biosolids at 542 kg N·ha-1 and 162 kg P·ha-1 or ammonium nitrate and triple superphosphate at 225 kg N·ha-1 and 75 kg P·ha-1. Height increments in the 5 years following applications were two to five times greater in plots treated with either biosolids or fertilizer than in untreated plots. In Trial 2, western red cedar was treated with fertilizer at 225 kg N·ha-1 and 75 kg P·ha-1 or the following organic amendments at 504-610 kg N·ha-1: biosolids, biosolids and pulp and paper sludge, fish silage and wood ash, fish silage with wood ash and pulp and paper sludge, and wood ash alone. Height increments in the 5 years following applications were similar in all treated plots (except wood ash alone). These experiments provided no evidence for sustained growth responses in plots treated with organic fertilizers compared with those treated with chemical fertilizer.

Download Full-text

Tree Growth in Potting Media Made with De-inked Paper Sludge

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.32.3.455b ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 32 (3) ◽

pp. 455B-455

Author(s):

Robert R. Tripepi ◽

Mary W. George

Keyword(s):

Tree Growth ◽

Acer Rubrum ◽

Dry Weight ◽

Shoot Biomass ◽

Paper Sludge ◽

Red Maple ◽

Birch Trees ◽

Initial Ph ◽

Potting Media ◽

The Media

De-inked paper sludge from a newsprint mill was evaluated as a substitute for softwood bark in container media. Whips, 1.2 m tall, of `October Glory' red maple (Acer rubrum L.), European birch (Betula pendula Roth), and `Royalty' crabapple (Malus L.) were planted in 15-L plastic pots that contained potting media amended with 0%, 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, or 90% paper sludge and 80%, 60%, 40%, 20%, 0%, or 0%, respectively, bark (by volume). All media contained 10% sand. After 22 weeks, plant heights, trunk diameters, and shoot dry weights were determined. Initial pH of media increased as the amount of paper sludge in the media increased, with the 90% sludge mix having pH 7.2. Paper sludge had a low initial CEC. Physical properties of all sludge-amended media were suitable for tree growth, but media containing 80% or more paper sludge shrank in volume by 10% to 12% by the end of the study. All maple and crabapple trees grown in all sludge-amended media grew as well as those in 80% bark (control mix). In fact, maple and crabapples trees in 40% sludge produced at least 10% and 36% more total shoot biomass, respectively, than trees in 80% bark. Although birch trees grown in 40% or 60% paper sludge grew as well as control plants, those grown in 80% or more sludge were at least 11% shorter and produced 24% less total shoot biomass (leaves, stems, and trunk dry weight) than control trees. These results demonstrated that de-inked paper sludge was a worthy substitute for up to 40% of the bark in a container medium for the three species tested.

Download Full-text

Evaluating Paper Sludge in Container Media Used for Mum Production

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.30.4.867b ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 30 (4) ◽

pp. 867B-867 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Robert R. Tripepi

Keyword(s):

Plant Growth ◽

Fibrous Material ◽

Dry Weight ◽

Peat Moss ◽

Paper Sludge ◽

Growth Indices ◽

Rooted Cuttings ◽

Commercial Media ◽

Shoot Dry Weight ◽

Potting Media

Paper sludge is a fibrous material that may be suitable as a replacement for peat moss in potting media. The goal of this study was to compare the growth of potted `Iridon' mums (Dendranthema × grandiflora Tzvelev.) grown in sludge-amended media against that of plants in two peat-based commercial mixes. Paper sludge from a newsprint mill was composted 6 weeks. Plants were grown in a European pot mum regime with three rooted cuttings planted in square 10-cm pots containing either a commercial mix or a sludge-amended medium [75% sludge: 15% perlite: 10% vermiculite; or 50% sludge: 33% peatmoss: 17% perlite (by volume)]. Plants were grown for 12 weeks and not disbudded before plant growth indices were determined. Mums grown in sludge-amended media appeared similar to those grown in the commercial mixes. Plants grown in either sludge-amended medium were slightly shorter (1.5 cm) and narrower (2.5 cm) than those grown in the commercial mixes. In addition, mums grown in sludge-amended media produced eight fewer flowers and 4 g less shoot dry weight (per pot) compared to plants in commercial mixes. Composted paper sludge appears to be suitable for production of `Iridon' pot mums, even though plants grown in this material grew slightly less than those in commercial media.

Download Full-text

Influence of potting media types and weights on emergence and shoot growth of avocado (Persea americanaMill.) seedlings

Fruits ◽

10.1051/fruits:2003020 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 58 (6) ◽

pp. 345-356

Author(s):

Edossa Etissa ◽

Seifu G Mariam ◽

H. Ravishanker

Keyword(s):

Shoot Growth ◽

Potting Media ◽

Media Types

Download Full-text

Fertilization System as a Factor of Transforming the Humus State of the Soil

Agricultural science and practice ◽

10.15407/agrisp2.02.039 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 2 (2) ◽

pp. 39-44

Author(s):

V. Lopushniak

Keyword(s):

Crop Rotation ◽

Podzolic Soil ◽

Humus Content ◽

Organic Fertilizers ◽

Mineral Fertilizers ◽

Forest Steppe ◽

Content Increase ◽

Energy Reserves ◽

Gross Energy ◽

Stable Forms

Aim. To establish the effect of different fertilization systems in short fi eld crop rotation on the change in the state of humus in the dark gray podzolic soils in Western Forest-Steppe of Ukraine. Methods. Field studies were carried out in a stationary experiment of the Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry of the L’viv National Agrarian University; determination of humus content – according to DSTU 4289:2004, and that of its labile forms – in accordance with DSTU 4732:2007, fraction-group composition – by Ponomare- va-Plotnikova’s method, according to the measurement procedure 31-497058-008-2002. Results. The use of organo-mineral fertilizer system in short fi eld crop rotation with the saturation of organic fertilizers of 15 t/ha of crop rotation contributes to the humus content increase by 0.7 % after the third rotation in 0–40 cm layer of dark gray podzolic soil, the increase in the share of stable forms of humic compounds up to 57–59 % and the increase in the ratio of R HA :R FA to 1.3–1.4. The study demonstrated very high dependence of amount of gross energy reserves in the humus on the R HA :R FA ratio. Conclusions. The combined application of organic fertili- zers in the form of manure, non-market of the crop (straw) and siderate, along with mineral fertilizers is re- commended in short fi eld crop rotations of Western Forest-Steppe of Ukraine toensure expanded reproduction of fertility of dark gray podzolic soil, improvement of its humus status, increase in gross energy reserves and the share of the stable forms and humic acids in the humus.

Download Full-text