Application of alkaline waste from pulp industry to acid soil with pine

Abstract

In Brazil extensive areas are covered with pine forests, planted for pulp and paper production. This industry generates solid alkaline waste, such as dregs. The application of this dregs to forest soils is an alternative for soil acidity correction and plant nutrient supply, as well as a solution for its proper disposal. The purpose of this study was to compare the residual effect of surface application of dregs and dolomitic lime on (a) changes in the physical and chemical properties of an acidic soil and (b) pine tree development. The experiment was carried out in 2004 in Bocaina do Sul, Santa Catarina, consisting of the application of increasing dreg and lime rates to a Pinus taeda L. production area, on a Humic Cambisol, in a randomized block design with four replications and 10 x 10 m plots. The treatments consisted of levels of soil acidity amendments corresponding to the recommendations by the SMP method to reach pH 5.5 in the 0-20 cm layer, as follows: no soil amendment; dregs at 5.08 (1/4 SMP), 10.15 (1/2 SMP) and 20.3 Mg ha-1 (1 SMP); and lime at 8.35 (1/2 SMP) and 16.7 Mg ha-1 (1 SMP). Soil layers were sampled in 2010 for analyses of soil chemical and physical properties. The diameter at breast height of the 6.5 year old pine trees was also evaluated. Surface application of dregs improved soil chemical fertility by reducing acidity and increasing base saturation, similar to liming, especially in surface layers. Dregs, comparable to lime, reduced the degree of clay flocculation, but did not affect the soil physical quality. There was no effect of the amendments on increase in pine tree diameter. Thus, the alternative to raise the pH in forest soils to 5.5 with dregs is promising for the forestry sector with a view to dispose of the waste and increase soil fertility.

Alkalinized sewage sludge application improves fertility of acid soils

“…Our results were similar to those of Marin et al (2010) using alkalinized sewage sludge and by Pértile et al (2012) using alkaline waste from the pulp industry. Thus, alkalinized sewage sludge is an interesting alternative source of Ca and Mg, although complementary evaluations using cultivated plants should be explored in further studies.…”

“…The data were submitted to an analysis of variance (ANOVA) using a completely randomized design, with five alkalinized sewage sludge doses (0, 10, 20, 40, and (1) alkaline organic residues (Pértile et al, 2012;Neto et al, 2016). However, the highest pH-CaCl 2 values were reached in the soils of medium texture, and this was like caused by the lower buffering power of these soils, as is evidenced by their lower H + Al 3+ values ( Figure 2C).…”

Physical Properties of a Hapludox after Three Decades under Different Soil Management Systems

“…However, in the conservation tillage system, liming affected soil macroporosity in the 0.025-0.05 m soil layer ( Figure 2a, Table 1). The higher macroporosity in the conservation tillage system after lime application may be related to higher shoot and root biomass production by crops (Pértile et al, 2012), increasing organic matter and soil microbial activity, which are factors that contribute to aggregate stabilization and consequently improve soil aeration (Vezzani and Mielniczuk, 2011). However, differences in total porosity and macroporosity in the deepest soil layers may be due to variability that occurs in the soil, since the effect of acidity correction in deeper layers was not observed by Ciotta et al (2004).…”

“…In this specific case, liming may have stimulated root growth, with consequent formation of channels after root decomposition, which can alleviate penetration resistance. In the study of Pértile et al (2012) in a Humudept, it was observed that roots grew deeper in treatments with higher addition of lime. The liming effect can affect soil chemical properties (Ciotta et al, 2004), crop growth, organic matter input (Pértile et al, 2012), and biological activity and, in addition, can benefit soil physical properties.…”

Chemical attributes of soils with eggshell application

“…With the increase in soil pH there is a decrease in the Al 3+ content due to the formation of the precipitate Al (OH)3, non-toxic to plants (Raij, 2011). Pértile et al (2012) also observed a decrease in the Al 3+ content in the soil, as a consequence of the acidity correction with the addition of alkaline waste from the cellulose industry. The high level of Al 3+ in the soil, a frequent condition in tropical regions, provides short, thick, fragile roots, with thick apices and brown coloration, which impairs the absorption and accumulation of nutrients in the plants (Gama & Kiehl, 1999;Mota et al, 2016).…”