Boron toxicity of coal mining areas in southwestern Wyoming
- Idaho Dept. of Health and Welfare, Boise, ID (United States)
- Wyoming Dept. of Environmental Quality, Cheyenne, WY (United States)
- Wyoming Dept. of Environmental Quality, Lander, WY (United States)
Boron tolerance of native plant species is not generally known. This study was conducted to determine the B tolerance of thickspike wheatgrass [Agropyron dasystachyum (Hook.) Scribn.], a species commonly used to reclaim minelands in the semiarid and arid West. Pre-germinated thickspike wheatgrass seeds were planted in three soil materials obtained from a coal mine in southwestern Wyoming. Soils were taken from an undisturbed bottomland (clay), a topsoil stockpile (sand), and a carbonaceous shale outcrop (shale) with inherent hot water extractable-B (HWE-B) levels of 2.8, 1.3, and 3.5 mg/kg soil, respectively. Each soil material was treated with boric acid solutions to produce seven different HWE-B levels. B levels ranged from inherent conditions up to 57.9 mg/kg. Plants were grown under greenhouse conditions for 100 days in pots containing 2.9 kg of clay or shale or 3.4 kg sand. Wheatgrass shoot and root dry matter production were measured. Toxicity symptoms (leaf tip necrosis) were observed in all treatments but the controls during the study. Levels of 11.6 and 20.5 mg/kg HWE-B produced an average of 10 and 20% reductions in shoot production, respectively. Ten and 20% reductions in root growth were observed with 3.8 and 6.6 mg/kg HWE-B, respectively. Plants grown in the sand were most B sensitive. This is postulated to be a result of the drier conditions attendant in that soil. Results indicate that thickspike wheatgrass can tolerate HWE-B levels in excess of 5 mg/kg. However, actual field tolerance levels will be dependent on climatic and soil environmental conditions, particularly moisture availability.
- OSTI ID:
- 56935
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9003298-; TRN: 95:000932-0005
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 5. Billings symposium on disturbed land rehabilitation, Billings, MT (United States), 25-30 Mar 1990; Other Information: PBD: 1990; Related Information: Is Part Of Fifth Billings symposium on disturbed land rehabilitation. Volume I: Hardrock waste, analytical and revegetation; PB: 338 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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