Abstract
With the increase in iron/steel production, the higher volume of by-products (slag) generated necessitates its efficient recycling. Because the Linz-Donawitz (LD) slag is rich in silicon (Si) and other fertilizer components, we aim to evaluate the impact of the LD slag amendment on soil quality (by measuring soil physicochemical and biological properties), plant nutrient uptake, and strengthens correlations between nutrient uptake and soil bacterial communities. We used 16 S rRNA illumine sequencing to study soil bacterial community and APIZYM assay to study soil enzymes involved in C, N, and P cycling. The LD slag was applied at 2 Mg ha−1 to Japonica and Indica rice cultivated under flooded conditions. The LD slag amendment significantly improved soil pH, plant photosynthesis, soil nutrient availability, and the crop yield, irrespective of cultivars. It significantly increased N, P, and Si uptake of rice straw. The slag amendment enhanced soil microbial biomass, soil enzyme activities and enriched certain bacterial taxa featuring copiotrophic lifestyles and having the potential role for ecosystem services provided to the benefit of the plant. The study evidenced that the short-term LD slag amendment in rice cropping systems is useful to improve soil physicochemical and biological status, and the crop yield.
Highlights
With the increase in iron/steel production, the higher volume of by-products generated necessitates its efficient recycling
We evaluate the amendment impact of Linz-Donawitz converter (LD) slag, generated from the basic oxygen furnace (BOF) process in steel manufacturing, on soil bacterial communities, soil enzyme activities, soil physicochemical changes, and plant nutrient uptake in two different geographic races of Oryza sativa var
We explicitly evaluate whether the measured variables would cause a shift in soil bacterial community composition that reflect in sustainable crop production by the slag amendment in a rice cropping system
Summary
With the increase in iron/steel production, the higher volume of by-products (slag) generated necessitates its efficient recycling. A number of studies have reported the beneficial effects of slag and/or slag-based fertilizer application to improve soil quality and plant productivity, mitigate greenhouse gas emissions from rice cropping systems[7,8,9,10,11], and stabilize heavy metals in contaminated soils[12,13]. Our understanding on how rhizosphere bacterial communities and activities are affected by the slag amendment and by plant genotypes (i.e., Indica vs Japonica rice genotype), and how the changes in microbial communities and activities influence soil quality and productivity are, not clear. We evaluate the amendment impact of Linz-Donawitz converter (LD) slag, generated from the basic oxygen furnace (BOF) process in steel manufacturing, on soil bacterial communities, soil enzyme activities, soil physicochemical changes, and plant nutrient uptake in two different geographic races of Oryza sativa var. Slags may contain traces of heavy metals[24] that may impede rhizosphere microbial diversity and functionality
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