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Baloch SB, Ali S, Bernas J, Moudrý J, Konvalina P, Mushtaq Z, Murindangabo YT, Onyebuchi EF, Baloch FB, Ahmad M, Saeed Q, Mustafa A. Wood ash application for crop production, amelioration of soil acidity and contaminated environments. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 357:141865. [PMID: 38570047 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.141865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 03/17/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
Agriculture is vital to human life and economic development even though it may have a detrimental influence on soil quality. Agricultural activities can deteriorate the soil quality, endangers the ecosystem health and functioning, food safety, and human health. To resolve the problem of soil degradation, alternative soil conditioners such as wood ash are being explored for their potential to improve soil-plant systems. This study provides an overview of the production, properties, and effects of wood ash on soil properties, crop productivity, and environmental remediation. A comprehensive search of relevant databases was conducted in order to locate and assess original research publications on the use of wood ash in agricultural and environmental management. According to the findings, wood ash, a byproduct of burning wood, may improve the structure, water-holding capacity, nutrient availability, and buffering capacity of soil as well as other physico-chemical, and biological attributes of soil. Wood ash has also been shown to increase agricultural crop yields and help with the remediation of polluted regions. Wood ash treatment, however, has been linked to several adverse effects, such as increased trace element concentrations and altered microbial activity. The examination found that wood ash could be a promising material to be used as soil conditioner and an alternative supply of nutrients for agricultural soils, while, wood ash contributes to soil improvement and environmental remediation, highlighting its potential as a sustainable solution for addressing soil degradation and promoting environmental sustainability in agricultural systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sadia Babar Baloch
- Department of Agroecosystems, Faculty of Agriculture and Technology, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Branišovská 1645/31A, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Shahzaib Ali
- Department of Agroecosystems, Faculty of Agriculture and Technology, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Branišovská 1645/31A, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Jaroslav Bernas
- Department of Agroecosystems, Faculty of Agriculture and Technology, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Branišovská 1645/31A, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Moudrý
- Department of Agroecosystems, Faculty of Agriculture and Technology, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Branišovská 1645/31A, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Konvalina
- Department of Agroecosystems, Faculty of Agriculture and Technology, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Branišovská 1645/31A, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Zain Mushtaq
- Department of Soil Science, University of Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Yves Theoneste Murindangabo
- Department of Agroecosystems, Faculty of Agriculture and Technology, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Branišovská 1645/31A, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Eze Festus Onyebuchi
- Department of Agroecosystems, Faculty of Agriculture and Technology, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Branišovská 1645/31A, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Faryal Babar Baloch
- College of Land and Environment, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, 12, 110866, China
| | - Maqshoof Ahmad
- Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, the Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
| | - Qudsia Saeed
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650, China
| | - Adnan Mustafa
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650, China.
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Zhao H, Ahmad S, Wu N, Suo L, Tian X, Zhao Y, Yu J, Wang L, Si B. Effect of Straw and Wood Ash on Soil Carbon Sequestration and Bacterial Community in a Calcareous Soil. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:926506. [PMID: 35923390 PMCID: PMC9339994 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.926506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Soil fertility can be improved by effectively utilizing agricultural waste. Straw can supply energy and wood ash adds nutrients to improve soil quality. However, few kinds of research have investigated the effect of wood ash and straw on soil carbon sequestration and the soil bacterial population, particularly in calcareous soils. The main goal of this current study was to quantify the impact of a combination of wood ash and straw on the indicators described above using stable δ13C isotope analyses by applying wheat straw to calcareous soil under a long-term C4 crop rotation. The incubation experiment included four treatments as follows: (i) no amendment (Control); (ii) amendment with wood ash (W); (iii) amendment with straw (S); and (iv) a combined amendment of straw and wood ash (SW). Our results showed that sequestration of soil inorganic carbon (SIC) in the SW and W treatments was higher (an average of 7.78%) than that in the S and Control treatments. The sequestered soil organic carbon (SOC) in the SW treatment was 1.25-fold greater than that in the S treatment, while there was no evident effect on the SOC content compared with straw alone. The microbial biomass carbon increased under SW by 143.33%, S by 102.23%, and W by 13.89% relative to control. The dissolved organic carbon increased under SW by 112.0%, S by 66.61%, and W by 37.33% relative to the control. The pH and electrical conductivity were higher in the SW and W treatments than in the S treatment and the control. The SW was conducive to maintaining soil enzymatic activities and bacterial diversity. Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteriota were dominant in SW, while the Acidobacteria phyla were dominant in the S treatment. The diversity of bacteria in the soil and community composition of the bacteria were predominantly assessed by the levels of water-soluble K, pH, and electrical conductivity. The incorporation of straw and wood ash is probably more effective at improving SIC and SOC sequestration and ameliorates the soil microhabitat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huili Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Coastal Eco Hydrological Process and Environmental Safety, School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Ludong University, Yantai, China
- Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and the Agri-Environment in Northwest China, College of Natural Resources and Environment, Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang, China
| | - Shakeel Ahmad
- Guangxi Colleges and Universities Key Laboratory of Crop Cultivation and Tillage, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Nan Wu
- Key Laboratory of Coastal Eco Hydrological Process and Environmental Safety, School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Ludong University, Yantai, China
| | - Lizhu Suo
- Key Laboratory of Coastal Eco Hydrological Process and Environmental Safety, School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Ludong University, Yantai, China
| | - Xiaohong Tian
- Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and the Agri-Environment in Northwest China, College of Natural Resources and Environment, Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang, China
| | - Ying Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Coastal Eco Hydrological Process and Environmental Safety, School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Ludong University, Yantai, China
| | - Jinyi Yu
- Key Laboratory of Coastal Eco Hydrological Process and Environmental Safety, School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Ludong University, Yantai, China
| | - Li Wang
- Key Laboratory of Coastal Eco Hydrological Process and Environmental Safety, School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Ludong University, Yantai, China
| | - Bingcheng Si
- Key Laboratory of Coastal Eco Hydrological Process and Environmental Safety, School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Ludong University, Yantai, China
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Smenderovac E, Emilson C, Porter T, Morris D, Hazlett P, Diochon A, Basiliko N, Bélanger N, Markham J, Rutherford PM, van Rees K, Jones T, Venier L. Forest soil biotic communities show few responses to wood ash applications at multiple sites across Canada. Sci Rep 2022; 12:4171. [PMID: 35264620 PMCID: PMC8907164 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-07670-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
There is interest in utilizing wood ash as an amendment in forestry operations as a mechanism to return nutrients to soils that are removed during harvesting, with the added benefit of diverting this bioenergy waste material from landfill sites. Existing studies have not arrived at a consensus on what the effects of wood ash amendments are on soil biota. We collected forest soil samples from studies in managed forests across Canada that were amended with wood ash to evaluate the effects on arthropod, bacterial and fungal communities using metabarcoding of F230, 16S, 18S and ITS2 sequences as well as enzyme analyses to assess its effects on soil biotic function. Ash amendment did not result in consistent effects across sites, and those effects that were detected were small. Overall, this study suggests that ash amendment applied to managed forest systems in amounts (up to 20 Mg ha-1) applied across the 8 study sties had little to no detectable effects on soil biotic community structure or function. When effects were detected, they were small, and site-specific. These non-results support the application of wood ash to harvested forest sites to replace macronutrients (e.g., calcium) removed by logging operations, thereby diverting it from landfill sites, and potentially increasing stand productivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Smenderovac
- Great Lakes Forestry Centre, Sault Ste. Marie, Natural Resources Canada, P6A 2E5, Canada.
| | - Caroline Emilson
- Great Lakes Forestry Centre, Sault Ste. Marie, Natural Resources Canada, P6A 2E5, Canada
| | - Teresita Porter
- Great Lakes Forestry Centre, Sault Ste. Marie, Natural Resources Canada, P6A 2E5, Canada
| | - Dave Morris
- Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research, Ontario Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry, Thunder Bay, P7E 2V6, Canada
| | - Paul Hazlett
- Great Lakes Forestry Centre, Sault Ste. Marie, Natural Resources Canada, P6A 2E5, Canada
| | | | | | | | - John Markham
- University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, R3T 2N2, Canada
| | | | - Ken van Rees
- University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, S7N 5B5, Canada
| | - Trevor Jones
- Great Lakes Forestry Centre, Sault Ste. Marie, Natural Resources Canada, P6A 2E5, Canada
| | - Lisa Venier
- Great Lakes Forestry Centre, Sault Ste. Marie, Natural Resources Canada, P6A 2E5, Canada
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Bang-Andreasen T, Peltre M, Ellegaard-Jensen L, Hansen LH, Ingerslev M, Rønn R, Jacobsen CS, Kjøller R. Application of wood ash leads to strong vertical gradients in soil pH changing prokaryotic community structure in forest top soil. Sci Rep 2021; 11:742. [PMID: 33436951 PMCID: PMC7804945 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80732-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Wood ash is alkaline and contains base-cations. Application of wood ash to forests therefore counteracts soil acidification and recycle nutrients removed during harvest. Wood ash application to soil leads to strong vertical gradients in physicochemical parameters. Consequently, we designed an experimental system where small-scale vertical changes in soil properties and prokaryotic community structure could be followed after wood ash application. A mixed fly and bottom ash was applied in dosages of 3 and 9 t ha-1 to the surface of soil mesocosms, simulating a typical coniferous podzol. Soil pH, exchangeable cations and 16S prokaryotic community was subsequently assessed at small depth intervals to 5 cm depth at regular intervals for one year. Wood ash significantly changed the prokaryotic community in the top of the soil column. Also, the largest increases in pH and concentrations of exchangeable cations was found here. The relative abundance of prokaryotic groups directionally changed, suggesting that wood ash favors copiotrophic prokaryotes at the expense of oligotrophic and acidophilic taxa. The effect of wood ash were negligible both in terms of pH- and biological changes in lower soil layers. Consequently, by micro-vertical profiling we showed that wood ash causes a steep gradient of abiotic factors driving biotic changes but only in the top-most soil layers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toke Bang-Andreasen
- grid.7048.b0000 0001 1956 2722Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark ,grid.5254.60000 0001 0674 042XDepartment of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
| | - Mette Peltre
- grid.5254.60000 0001 0674 042XDepartment of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Lea Ellegaard-Jensen
- grid.7048.b0000 0001 1956 2722Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Lars Hestbjerg Hansen
- grid.7048.b0000 0001 1956 2722Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark ,grid.5254.60000 0001 0674 042XDepartment of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Morten Ingerslev
- grid.5254.60000 0001 0674 042XDepartment of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Regin Rønn
- grid.5254.60000 0001 0674 042XDepartment of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
| | - Carsten Suhr Jacobsen
- grid.7048.b0000 0001 1956 2722Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Rasmus Kjøller
- grid.5254.60000 0001 0674 042XDepartment of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
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Mortensen LH, Cruz-Paredes C, Qin J, Rønn R, Vestergård M. Effect of ash application on the decomposer food web and N mineralization in a Norway spruce plantation. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 715:136793. [PMID: 32007873 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.136793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2019] [Revised: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
In the face of global climate change there is an increasing demand for biofuel, which exerts pressure on production and thus management of biofuel plantations. The intensification of whole-tree harvest from biofuel plantations increases export of nutrients. Returning ash from biofuel combustion to the forest plantations can amend the soil nutrient status and thus facilitate sustainable forest management. However, ash affects the forest floor decomposer food web, potentially changing organic matter turnover, carbon sequestration and nitrogen availability. Our aim was to examine the response of decomposer organisms, food web structure and nitrogen mineralization function after ash application. In a coniferous forest plantation amended with 0, 3, 4.5 or 6 t ash ha-1, we sampled in several depths of the forest floor for key organisms of the decomposer food web (fungal biomass, 0-12 cm; bacteria, protozoa, nematodes and enchytraeids, 0-3 cm and 3-6 cm; microarthropods and earthworms, 0-5 cm), 2, 14 and 26 months after ash application. We used structural equation modelling (SEM) to detangle the direct and indirect effects of ash application on organisms in the decomposer food web and on nitrogen availability. We found that ash increased the abundance of bacteria and protozoa, as well as the inorganic nitrogen pool at 0-3 cm depth, whereas the effect of ash was negligible at 3-6 cm depth. Earthworm abundance increased, whereas enchytraeid abundance decreased 2 years after ash application. The structural equation modelling showed that ash application stimulated the bacterial feeding pathway and increased nitrogen mineralization. Contrary, ash had a negative effect on fungal biomass at the first sampling, however, this effect subdued over time. Our results suggest that as the soil decomposer food web is resilient to ash application, this is a viable option for sustainable management of biofuel plantations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise Hindborg Mortensen
- Terrestrial Ecology Section, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark.
| | - Carla Cruz-Paredes
- Terrestrial Ecology Section, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
| | - Jiayi Qin
- Soil Fauna Ecology and Ecotoxicology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Vejlsøvej 25, 8600 Silkeborg, Denmark
| | - Regin Rønn
- Terrestrial Ecology Section, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
| | - Mette Vestergård
- Department of Agroecology, AU-Flakkebjerg, Aarhus University, Forsøgsvej 1, 4200 Slagelse, Denmark
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