A Greenhouse Study of Concrete Grinding Residue Influences on Seedling Emergence and Early Growth of Selected Prairie Species

Abstract

Concrete grinding residue (CGR) is a byproduct of diamond grinding, a road surface maintenance technique. Direct deposition of CGR along roadsides may influence plant growth, which has not been fully studied. Particularly, systematic experiments of CGR effects on selected common prairie species growth under controlled environments are rarely reported. Thus, in this study, a greenhouse experiment was performed to determine CGR effects on seedling emergence and aboveground biomass for four roadside prairie species: Indian grass, Canada wild rye, partridge pea, and wild bergamot. Nicollet loam and Hanlon fine sandy loam were used, and CGR of 4 rates, 0, 2.24, 4.48, and 8.96 kg m−2, were applied in two ways, either mixed with the soil or applied on the soil surface. Multiple comparisons indicate that CGR produced mixed impacts on seedling emergence, depending on plant species, while aboveground biomass is not significantly influenced by CGR in general. ANOVA analysis with stepwise linear regression indicates that CGR had no uniform effects on seedling emergence, and CGR impacts should be studied for specific plant species and soil types. In conclusion, while CGR may lead to negative environmental issues on roadside plants depending on the plant species and soil types, if aboveground biomass is a major consideration, CGR effects are negligible. This study provides reference information for regulating CGR depositions along roadsides. Future studies may focus on investigating the relationship between CGR effects on seedling emergence and species succession in actual roadside environments.