Abstract

Combusted reed canary grass (RCG) produces high amounts of ash and deposition costs are high. Thus it is desirable that RCG ashes, pure or in mixtures, can be recycled to the fields. A field trial was established in spring 2002 to asses the risk of enrichment of heavy metals and the fertilization effect using annual ash applications. Three different treatments were applied; ash from co-combustion of RCG and municipal wastes (mixed ash), pure RCG ash and a control treatment with only commercial fertilizers. The yearly applied amounts of nutrients were 100 kg ha-1 N, 15 kg ha-1 P and 80 kg ha-1 K in all treatments, with all P coming from ash in the ash treatments and K and N supplemented by fertilizers. In the control treatment P was given as Ca(H2PO4)2. There were no significant differences between treatments in dry matter yields in spring (2003-2009) but large variation between years. There were no significant differences in heavy metal concentration in the biomass between treatments. Soil samples from 0-5 cm, 5-10 cm and 10-20 cm showed significant differences between treatments for Cd, Pb and Zn in the uppermost soil level only, with higher contents in the mixed ash treatment. The ashes we used did not affect the growth negatively and pure RCG ash can be used as a complement to commercial fertilizers. Ashes from co-burning of RCG with different waste materials as in the treatment with mixed ash shouldnotbe spreadon agricultural land.

Published in

Publisher: Värmeforsk Serviceaktiebolag

Conference

Ash utilisation 2012 - Ashes in a Sustainable Society

SLU Authors

• Lindvall, Eva

  • Department of Agricultural Research for Northern Sweden, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Palmborg, Cecilia

  • Department of Agricultural Research for Northern Sweden, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Agricultural Science


Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/41626