Chapter 4 - Opportunities and challenges in fly ash–aided paddy agriculture

Abstract

Fly ash (FA)—a coal combustion residue of thermal power plants—has been recognized as a problematic solid waste all over the world. Its proper disposal and safe utilization are a great challenge to the owners of the thermal power plants to have a quality environment around us. Use of FA in agriculture sector has been examined in several countries to improve nutrient poor soils. FA has been used in different types of soils as a fertilizer, particularly in paddy fields to raise fertility and enhance the rice production. Thus the agronomic application of FA depends on soil and crop selection. The present article evaluates the scope of FA amendment in paddy fields to optimize the growth, yield, and quality of paddy grains. The toxic elements found in FA do not enter in paddy grain, and therefore does not create any health hazard in food chain. Some agrotechnologies and biotechnologies have been standardized for safe and potential utilization of FA in paddy cropping. Therefore paddy is the most suitable crop in the agriculture sector to use FA without any fear to improve the nutrient status of poor paddy soils. This article describes the current development and future trends of FA application in paddy fields. Our attempt is to examine the safe use of FA in the amelioration of substandard soils to increase-up rice production as well as identify the key research gaps. The present chapter suggests that FA can be recycled successfully in agroecosystem with rice crop to improve paddy soil fertility and yield with no adverse effect on soil health and crop produce.