Effect of Different Doses of Ash from Biomass Combustion on the Development of Diatom Assemblages on Podzolic Soil under Oilseed Rape Cultivation

Jadwiga Stanek-Tarkowska,Mateusz Rybak,Małgorzata Szostek

doi:10.3390/agronomy11122422

Abstract

The aim of the study was to determine the effect of fertilization with various doses of ash from biomass combustion (balanced to the amount of K2O introduced into the soil) on the growth of representatives of soil microorganisms, i.e., diatoms. In a one-factor field experiment (control, NPK, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 kg/ha), soil samples were collected from the 0–5 cm layer of podzolic soil under the cultivation of winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus L. var. napus) at the end of August 2019 and 2020. The biomass combustion ash used for soil fertilization was characterized by an alkaline reaction (pH = 12.83 ± 0.68) and high levels of basic macroelements required for proper plant growth and development. The particle size distribution in each plot was identified as loamy silt (pgl). Before the experiment (autumn 2018), the soil exhibited an acidic reaction (pHH2O = 5.8), low conductivity (EC = 68 µS), and 19.09% moisture at the 0–5 cm level. In total, 23 diatom species were identified in the material collected from the topsoil in all variants of the experiment. Hantzschia amphioxys, Mayamaea atomus, Mayamaea permitis, Nitzschia pusilla, Pinnularia obscura, Pinnularia schoenfelderi, and Stauroneis thermicola were the most abundant populations.

Highlights

IntroductionWood ash is often regarded as a waste product
The growing use and processing of wood has led to the generation of waste products, e.g., woodchips used for energy production, and increased production of wood ash [1,2].Wood ash is often regarded as a waste product
In August, i.e., the month of collection of the soil samples, the total monthly precipitation was 14.8 mm in 2019 and only 7.3 mm in 2020. Such low precipitation rates exert a limiting effect on the growth of diatom communities; they prefer moist habitats and, as autotrophic organisms, colonize the soil surface, which is characterized by the quickest water loss

Summary

Introduction

Wood ash is often regarded as a waste product. It retains most of the main minerals necessary for plant nutrition, except nitrogen, and has liming properties due to the high content of metal oxides and hydroxides [3,4]. Ashes are a source of plant nutrients (macro- and microelements) and can be regarded as a substitute for calcium fertilizers. Their deacidifying properties are associated with their high concentrations of calcium and magnesium carbonate [5,6,7]. The addition of ashes into soils requires careful determination of their optimal dose to avoid damage to the biological soil structure

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Results

Conclusion