Flyash improves soil fertility
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It is an effective plant nutrient
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FLY ASH is a by-product of pulverised coal-fired thermal power stations. Its disposal poses a serious problem considering storage space and cost involved and dust pollution arising out of its fineness.
According to researchers from the Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Bangalore, agriculture and wasteland management have emerged as prime bulk utilisation areas of fly ash.
Different field crops with different doses (25-500 tonnes per hectare) of fly ash have been grown.
Uses of fly ash
Fly ash improves permeability, fertility status, soil texture, water holding capacity/ porosity/ aeration, resistance to pest attack and reduces bulk density and crust formation.
It has also been successfully used as a source of essential plant nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, copper, zinc, manganese, iron, boron, molybdenum, and also for boosting crop growth.
Fly ash works as a part substitute of gypsum for reclamation of saline alkali soil and lime for reclamation of acidic soils.
Ground water quality
Crops grown in fly ash amended soil are safe for human consumption and ground water quality is not affected. Repeated field trials and residual effects have also recorded the increase in the crop yield (20-50 per cent) with high nutritional value, that is, protein, oil and the like.
Studies on the bulk use of fly ash in the agriculture sector have well established its efficacy in boosting chemical fertilizer efficiency in terms of better use by growing crops and thus resulting in lesser use of fertilizer.
M. J. Jayalakshmi
K. Pushpa
& R. Krishna Murthy
Life Science Foundation India,Morigeri
Karnataka
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