Wood ash as a vegetative-growth promoter in soils with subsurface compaction

Abstract

Subsurface soil compaction and nutritional stress are among the main factors that limit the yield of crops. Using forest residues, such as wood ash, is a viable option in the chemical recovery of soils and can promote vigorous root development in soils with subsurface compaction. The objective of this study was to indicate the most adequate dose of wood ash for efficient management of this residue applied in rotational crops cultivated in soils with subsurface compaction. Safflower plants (Carthamus tinctorius), a rotational crop with a deep taproot system, were grown in clay soil fertilized with different doses of ash and with induced levels of compaction in the subsurface layer. The experiment was conducted in a randomized block design, under a 4 × 5 factorial scheme, composed of four doses of wood ash (8.0, 16.0, 24.0, and 32.0 g dm-3) and five levels of soil bulk density (1.0, 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, and 1.8 kg dm-3), with four replicates. Crop growth variables (plant height, number of leaves, stem diameter, and SPAD chlorophyll index) were evaluated at 15, 45, and 75 days after emergence. The results indicated that soil compaction was the most limiting factor to the vegetative development of safflower, regardless of the ash dose. The interaction between the wood ash dose and bulk density, when present, showed that the best growth response occurred for ash dose of 25 g dm-3 for a soil bulk density of 1.2 kg dm-3.

The Impact of Using Different Doses of Biomass Ash on Some Physical Properties of Podzolic Soil under the Cultivation of Winter Oilseed Rape

“…Moreover, a downward trend was found in the variants of fertilization, especially in W4 and W5, compared to the NPK treatment in both years. A study conducted by Bonfilm-Silva et al [ 23 ] unequivocally supports the present results, which indicated that the ash fertilization with the combustion biomass ash caused a decrease in the soil BD value in both years. This finding is important, as it suggests a possible means of increasing the soil water holding capacity.…”

“…In their study, Bonfim-Silva et al [ 23 ] demonstrated that soil compaction is a limiting factor in agricultural production. In addition to triggering physical changes, it hinders of root penetration and reduces soil macroporosity, thereby affecting dynamic processes related to the availability and infiltration of water, as well as the flow of gases in the soil profile [ 24 , 25 , 26 ].…”

Impact of Soil Fertilized with Biomass Ash on Depth-Related Variability of Culturable Bacterial Diversity and Selected Physicochemical Parameters in Spring Barley Cultivation

“…The results of a study conducted by Bonfim-Silva et al (2022) [ 40 ] show that ash from biomass combustion causes a decrease in BD values in soil, which may have a beneficial effect on soil bacteria.…”

Cultivation of Urochloa brizantha under different soil densities and doses of wood ash

“…To identify methods for the physical and chemical maintenance of soils, residues from agro-industries have been added to soils, including wood ash, which can correct soil pH, provide nutrients (Darolt et al, 1993), and reduce soil density (Martinez-Santos et al, 2019). Bonfim-Silva et al (2022) found an interaction between the factors analyzed in their study, with a wood ash dose of 25 g dm -3 and soil density of 1.2 Mg dm -3 identified to enable the best crop growth. The objective of this study was to evaluate the growth of Paiaguás grass under different soil densities and wood ash doses.…”