Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-g8jcs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-20T07:25:47.108Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effects of fine-particle amendments on the soil moisture characteristics of a gravelly sandy loam and on crop yields

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

D. A. Stone
D. A. Stone
Affiliation:
National Vegetable Research Station, Wellesbourne, Warwick
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Pulverized fuel ash and fiuidized combustor ash were used to modify the availablewater capacity and moisture characteristics of a gravelly sandy loam soil in a study of the effects of fine-particle amendments on crop yield. Intimate incorporation of the ashes into the top-soil at rates of up to 502 t/ha increased the available water retained in the surface 0·3 m of soil by 40–80 %. The increase was mainly water held at potentials of between –0·05 bar and – 1 bar.

Two sugar-beet crops followed by broad beans, salad onions and cabbage were grown in the amended soil. With the highest rate of ash addition yield of the onions was increased by over 30% and of the cabbages by 14%. No improvement in sugar-beet or broad-bean yields resulted from the treatment. Poor growth of the second sugar-beet crop was attributed to a reduced aeration effect but it is suggested that the failure of the increased available water to improve yield consistently in this and a previous experiment was in part caused by rapid evaporative losses from the amended soil.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 81 , Issue 2 , October 1973 , pp. 303 - 310
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1973

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Baver, L. D. & Farnsworth, R. B. (1940). Soil structure effects on the growth of sugar beets. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. Proc. 5, 45–8.Google Scholar
Blake, G. R., Ogden, D. B., Adams, E. P. & Boelter, D. H. (1960). Effect of soil compaction on development and yield of sugar beets. J. Am. Soc. Sug. Beet Technol. 11, 236–42.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cleaver, T. J. & Turner, M. K. (1972) Comparison of the fertiliser requirements of different vegetable crops. Rep. natn. Veg. Res. Stn for 1971, pp. 36–38.Google Scholar
Gorfinkiel, E. & Pollard, A. G. (1952). A modified procedure for determining boron in plant material and soils using 1: l'·dianthrimide. J. Sci. Fd Agric. 3, 622–24.Google Scholar
Hanley, F. (1954). Agriculture of the sand lands. Bull. Minist. Agric. Fish Fd, no. 163, pp. 1–49.Google Scholar
Hodgson, D. R. & Holliday, R. (1963). The agronomic properties of pulverised fuel ash. Chemy Ind. no. 20, pp. 785–90.Google Scholar
Lemon, E. R. (1956). The potentialities for decreasing soil moisture evaporation loss. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. Proc. 20, 120–25.Google Scholar
Pasztor, L., Bode, J. D. & Fernando, Q. (1960). Determination of microquantities of boron in steel by a solvent-extraction, method. Analyt. Chem. 32, 277–81.Google Scholar
Salter, P. J. (1967). Methods of determining the moisture characteristics of soils. Expl Agric. 3, 163–73.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Salter, P. J., Webb, D. S. & Williams, J. B. (1971). The effects of pulverised fuel ash on the moisture characteristics of coarse-textured soils and on crop yields. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 77, 53–60.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stone, D. A. (1971). The modification of soil texture by addition of fine-particle amendments. Rep. natn. Veg. Res. Stn for 1970, pp. 87–8.Google Scholar
Webb, D. S. (1970). The modification of soil texture by addition of pulverised fuel ash. Rep. natn. Veg. Res. Stn for 1969, pp. 82–4.Google Scholar