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Flyash can be used for reclaiming the problem soil and enhance the crop productivity depending upon the nature of soil
and flyash. It may improve physical, chemical and biological properties of problem soils and enhance the available macro
and micronutrients for plants. The high concentration of elements (K, Na, Zn, Ca, Mg and Fe) in flyash increase yield of
agricultural crops. However, application of flyash, particularly unweathered ones, shows a tendency of accumulating
elements like B, Mo, Se and Al. The accumulations of these elements to toxic levels are responsible for reductions in the
crop yields and consequently influence animal and human health. This review explores the possibility of using flyash to
improve the soil environment and subsequently increase the growth and yield of crops.
Keywords: Crop growth, Crop yield, Flyash, Toxic/trace elements
IPC Code: A01C9/00
Introduction
Every year Indian thermal power plants produce
more than 100 million tons of flyash, which is
expected to reach 175 million tons in near future1.
Disposal of this huge quantity of ash is a great
problem due to its limited utilization in manufacturing
of bricks, cements, ceiling and other civil construction
activities. This would further bring to changes in landuse pattern and contribute to land, water and
atmospheric degradation, if proper management
options for flyash handling are not undertaken2-4. The
countries like Germany, Denmark, France, UK, USA,
and The Netherlands utilize flyash (up to 70 %) as a
building material and other construction purpose, but
in India its utilization is less (<15 %)5. Use of flyash
in agriculture provides a feasible alternative for its
safe disposal to improve the soil environment and
enhance the crop productivity. However, a judicious
amendment strategy has to be developed to abate the
land pollution from the heavy metals present in it6.
More than 80 coal-fired thermal power plants
installed at different parts of India generated
58651 MW of energy out of 96948 MW total power
____________________
*Author for correspondence
Tel: +91-11-2574 2610-12, Extn 2233, 2273;
Fax: +91-11-2572 6938, 2572 6952
E-mail: sudhir@nplindia.ernet.in
384
Flyash
Particle size, %
2.0 0.02 mm (sand)
0.02-0.002 mm (silt)
< 0.002 mm (clay)
Particle density, mg/m3
Bulk density, mg/m3
Hydraulic conductivity, cm/d
Saturated moisture content, % vol basis
30.5
57.6
11.9
2.02
1.01
3.57
56.9
Chemical properties, %
Loss of ignition
Silica
Al2O3
Fe2O3
CaO
MgO
TiO2
Na2O
K2O
Chlorine
SO3
P2O5
Total sulphur
Organic carbon
EC, mmhos/cm
pH
0.72
56.68
31.62
4.74
1.0
0.4
2.0
0.48
2.07
<0.05
<0.05
<0.05
0.05
0.36
0.65
6.98
Coal
(Typical conc.)
Soil
(Range)
Major elements, %
Al
Si
Ca
Fe
Mg
Na
K
S
P
N
Ba
Sr
0.1 - 17.3
1.41 - 28.6
0.11 - 22.2
1 - 29
0.04 - 7.6
0.01 - 2.03
0.15 - 3.5
0.1 - 1.5
0.04 - 0.8
0.011 - 1.0
0.006 - 0.39
1.4
2.6
0.54
1.6
0.12
0.06
0.18
2.0
0.05
1.1
0.015
0.010
4 - 30
25 - 33
0.7 - 50
0.06 - 0.6
0.04 - 3.0
0.03 - 2.9
0.04 - 3.1
0.01 - 2.0
0.005 - 0.2
0.01 - 1
0.01 - 0.3
0.05 - 0.4
2.3 - 6,300
10 - 618
0.7 - 130
22 - 320
7 520
10 - 1,000
1.5 18
14 - 2,800
13 - 320
0.02 - 1.0
17 - 104
58 - 3,000
7 - 160
6.3 - 4,300
3.1 - 5,000
36 - 300
0.8 - 202
3.7 - 141
0.2 - 134
13 - 68
0.8 - 19
50 - 5,000
10 - 3,500
50 - 1,286
15
50
1.3
7.7
7.0
15
19
0.6
0.8
6.1
100
3
15
16
2.9
1.1
3
4.1
1.6
20
39
30
0.1 - 40
2 - 100
0.01 - 7.0
50
1 - 40
5 - 3,000
0.4
2 - 100
15 - 70
30
100 - 4,000
0.2 - 5.0
10 - 1,000
2 - 100
30 - 600
0.6 - 10
10 - 25
0.1 - 2.0
1.9
20 - 250
10 - 300
60 - 2,000
SHARMA & KALRA: EFFECT OF FLYASH ON SOIL PROPERTIES AND PRODUCTIVITY OF CROPS
Concentration
in flyash, ppm
Total leach
%
Leachate water
quality, g/ml*
500
4890
2500
6000
98
29300
8.6
77.3
93
8.2ppb
12.8
9.67
.60
2.80
9.73
0.67
0.15
2.12
0.47
3.52
8.64
2.04
2.75
4.45
3.98
33.17
0.04
1.10
0.01
0.021
0.186
0.04 ng/ml
0.015
385
386
Table 4 Soil physical and chemical properties as influenced by flyash addition at study sites after wheat harvest25
Ash level
t/ha
pH
%, w/w
Available
water
mm/cm
16.7
17.2
17.4
0.34
5.1
5.6
5.7
0.34
1.728
1.711
1.638
0.018
7.50
7.21
7.11
0.31
17.1
17.5
17.9
0.46
6.2
6.6
6.9
0.37
10.21
9.91
9.61
9.31
0.22
13.9
14.4
15.0
15.3
0.23
5.9
6.2
6.5
6.6
0.17
BD
HC
FC
WP
Mg/m3
cm/d
%, w/w
6.80
6.59
6.30
0.23
1.52
1.50
1.48
0.14
1.53
1.50
1.46
1.44
0.11
EC
OC
Na
Ca
mmhos/cm
9.63
9.57
9.30
0.27
0.415
0.453
0.456
0.032
0.343
0.355
0.358
0.011
118
112
109
12
3.56
3.95
3.33
0.13
1.657
1.680
1.687
0.019
8.91
8.71
8.73
0.15
0.442
0.491
0.487
0.047
0.323
0.324
0.334
0.013
112
105
118
16
2.84
3.24
3.26
0.14
1.224
1.230
1.241
1.253
0.015
8.78
8.70
8.53
8.35
0.12
0.354
0.376
0.412
0.432
0.023
0.305
0.319
0.325
0.353
0.024
175
195
220
241
18
126
118
128
135
25
9.33
9.34
8.96
9.00
0.17
ppm
P
kg/ha
Gulawathi village
0
10
20
CD,
5% level
1.49
1.45
1.40
0.12
Muthiani village
0
10
20
CD,
5% level
IARI Farm
0
10
20
50
CD,
5% level
1725
1582
1575
1565
136
170
155
145
140
18
SHARMA & KALRA: EFFECT OF FLYASH ON SOIL PROPERTIES AND PRODUCTIVITY OF CROPS
Biological Properties
387
388
Flyash level
tons/ha
Gulawathi
0
10
20
0
10
20
0
20
50
Muthiani
IARI Farm
Concentration, ppm
Zn
38.4
41.6
39.8
40.4
44.6
46.6
31.4
34.3
38.2
Cu
5.7
6.1
7.3
5.3
5.8
6.1
5.2
4.8
5.3
Fe
762.3
809.8
819.8
612.1
663.3
683.3
620.9
634.6
631.5
Mn
15.8
20.1
20.2
23.4
30.8
27.1
16.9
18.0
22.0
Cd
ND
0.4
0.5
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.9
1.1
SHARMA & KALRA: EFFECT OF FLYASH ON SOIL PROPERTIES AND PRODUCTIVITY OF CROPS
389
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