Abstract
Reed canary grass (RCG) is a bio-energy crop with large potential. It is a 1.5 . 2.5 m tall grass that is harvested in spring when it is grown as a fuel. At spring harvest it yields 3 . 10 ton field dried material per ha and year. One disadvantage when reed canary grass is used as a fuel is the high ash content, 5-10 %. This means that large quantities of ash have to be deposited which is expensive, about 1000 SEK/ton. However, since reed canary grass ash contains reasonable amounts of plant nutrients like phosphorous (P), potassium (K) and magnesium (Mg) it could be recycled as fertilizer in agriculture. The ash can be used without any pretreatment since, in agriculture, plant availability is desirable. The aim of this project, was to evaluate a field experiment, where ash was used as a fertilizer in reed canary grass. The experiment was established at the SLU research station in Umea, Sweden in the spring 2002. Three different fertilizer treatments were applied: Treatment A was fertilized with an ash produced by combustion of RCG together with municipal wastes (paper, plastic, leather), treatment B, an ash from combustion of RCG, and for treatment
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Citation Formats
Palmborg, Cecilia, and Lindvall, Eva.
Long term effects of ash fertilization of reed canary grass; Laangtidseffekter av askgoedsling vid roerflensodling.
Sweden: N. p.,
2011.
Web.
Palmborg, Cecilia, & Lindvall, Eva.
Long term effects of ash fertilization of reed canary grass; Laangtidseffekter av askgoedsling vid roerflensodling.
Sweden.
Palmborg, Cecilia, and Lindvall, Eva.
2011.
"Long term effects of ash fertilization of reed canary grass; Laangtidseffekter av askgoedsling vid roerflensodling."
Sweden.
@misc{etde_1010818,
title = {Long term effects of ash fertilization of reed canary grass; Laangtidseffekter av askgoedsling vid roerflensodling}
author = {Palmborg, Cecilia, and Lindvall, Eva}
abstractNote = {Reed canary grass (RCG) is a bio-energy crop with large potential. It is a 1.5 . 2.5 m tall grass that is harvested in spring when it is grown as a fuel. At spring harvest it yields 3 . 10 ton field dried material per ha and year. One disadvantage when reed canary grass is used as a fuel is the high ash content, 5-10 %. This means that large quantities of ash have to be deposited which is expensive, about 1000 SEK/ton. However, since reed canary grass ash contains reasonable amounts of plant nutrients like phosphorous (P), potassium (K) and magnesium (Mg) it could be recycled as fertilizer in agriculture. The ash can be used without any pretreatment since, in agriculture, plant availability is desirable. The aim of this project, was to evaluate a field experiment, where ash was used as a fertilizer in reed canary grass. The experiment was established at the SLU research station in Umea, Sweden in the spring 2002. Three different fertilizer treatments were applied: Treatment A was fertilized with an ash produced by combustion of RCG together with municipal wastes (paper, plastic, leather), treatment B, an ash from combustion of RCG, and for treatment C commercial fertilizers were used. In total, 100 kg ha-1 of nitrogen (N), 15 kg ha-1 of phosphorous (P) and 80 kg ha-1 of potassium (K), were applied each year in all treatments. The amount of ash in treatment A and B was calculated from the chemical analysis of the ashes to be equal to the required amount of P, while K and N were supplied also by commercial fertilizers. [Table 1. Composition of the ashes] Literature study: There is a lack of knowledge about fertilization with reed canary grass ash, since few experiments have been conducted. The composition of reed canary grass is dependent of harvest date and the soil substrate. The amount of ash and the amount of harmful substances such as potassium and chloride generally decreases over winter, giving an increased fuel quality from spring harvest compared to autumn harvest. The main component of the ash is silica and silica concentrations are higher when reed canary grass is grown on clay soil than on peat soil. In an earlier project within the department of agricultural research for northern Sweden, SLU Umea, reed canary grass growing on peat soil was fertilized with ash from cocombustion of reed canary grass and sorted municipal waste. This ash was beneficial for the growth of the grass and did not give increased heavy metal contents. However the experiment only lasted two years so no conclusions could be drawn about long-term effects. Crop yields and elemental composition of the crop: The yields varied very much from year to year. The first two production years, 2004 and 2005 the yield was at expected levels, 6000-7000 kg dry matter per ha and year. After that, 2006-2009 the yields have been lower than expected, 1500 - 4000 kg dry matter per ha and year. The reason for this is not known, but it could be related to climate or pests. There were no significant differences in yield between the treatments. Samples from each plot from the last harvest and stored samples from 2004 were analyzed for nutrient and heavy metal content. There were only minor significant differences between the treatments: The ash and the potassium and calcium concentrations 2009 in grass from treatment A, ash from co-combustion of reed canary grass and waste, was slightly higher than in the NPK fertilized control. The magnesium concentration in 2009 was slightly higher in grass fertilized with reed canary grass ash than in the control grass. Element balances and soil concentrations of elements: Because of the low yield levels the amounts of P and K applied were much higher than the removal with harvests (Table 2). This resulted in an increase in plant available P and K in the top soil between 2003 and 2008 (Table 3). However, in the subsoil there was a decrease especially in plant available P. The only significant differences in soil nutrients between the treatments 2008 were for Ca, where treatment A had higher concentrations and Mg where treatment A and B had higher concentrations than the control. Only treatment A had an increased pH compared to the control. This is probably because reed canary grass ash is rich in silica oxide which is acidic. [Table 2. Balance between supplied and removed amounts of nutritional elements and heavy metals during the experimental period. The removed amount per hectare has been calculated from the average between analyzes from 2004 and 2009, and dry matter yield per year. The only heavy metal content available for the fertilizers was Cd content in the phosphate.] [Table 3. pH-value and content of plant nutrients 2003 (per treatment) and 2008 (per plot) in topsoil and subsoil. Analysis of plant available nutrients by extraction with ammonium lactate.] In treatment A, the amounts of heavy metals applied greatly exceeded the limits for sewage sludge set by Swedish Environmental Protection Agency.}
place = {Sweden}
year = {2011}
month = {Mar}
}
title = {Long term effects of ash fertilization of reed canary grass; Laangtidseffekter av askgoedsling vid roerflensodling}
author = {Palmborg, Cecilia, and Lindvall, Eva}
abstractNote = {Reed canary grass (RCG) is a bio-energy crop with large potential. It is a 1.5 . 2.5 m tall grass that is harvested in spring when it is grown as a fuel. At spring harvest it yields 3 . 10 ton field dried material per ha and year. One disadvantage when reed canary grass is used as a fuel is the high ash content, 5-10 %. This means that large quantities of ash have to be deposited which is expensive, about 1000 SEK/ton. However, since reed canary grass ash contains reasonable amounts of plant nutrients like phosphorous (P), potassium (K) and magnesium (Mg) it could be recycled as fertilizer in agriculture. The ash can be used without any pretreatment since, in agriculture, plant availability is desirable. The aim of this project, was to evaluate a field experiment, where ash was used as a fertilizer in reed canary grass. The experiment was established at the SLU research station in Umea, Sweden in the spring 2002. Three different fertilizer treatments were applied: Treatment A was fertilized with an ash produced by combustion of RCG together with municipal wastes (paper, plastic, leather), treatment B, an ash from combustion of RCG, and for treatment C commercial fertilizers were used. In total, 100 kg ha-1 of nitrogen (N), 15 kg ha-1 of phosphorous (P) and 80 kg ha-1 of potassium (K), were applied each year in all treatments. The amount of ash in treatment A and B was calculated from the chemical analysis of the ashes to be equal to the required amount of P, while K and N were supplied also by commercial fertilizers. [Table 1. Composition of the ashes] Literature study: There is a lack of knowledge about fertilization with reed canary grass ash, since few experiments have been conducted. The composition of reed canary grass is dependent of harvest date and the soil substrate. The amount of ash and the amount of harmful substances such as potassium and chloride generally decreases over winter, giving an increased fuel quality from spring harvest compared to autumn harvest. The main component of the ash is silica and silica concentrations are higher when reed canary grass is grown on clay soil than on peat soil. In an earlier project within the department of agricultural research for northern Sweden, SLU Umea, reed canary grass growing on peat soil was fertilized with ash from cocombustion of reed canary grass and sorted municipal waste. This ash was beneficial for the growth of the grass and did not give increased heavy metal contents. However the experiment only lasted two years so no conclusions could be drawn about long-term effects. Crop yields and elemental composition of the crop: The yields varied very much from year to year. The first two production years, 2004 and 2005 the yield was at expected levels, 6000-7000 kg dry matter per ha and year. After that, 2006-2009 the yields have been lower than expected, 1500 - 4000 kg dry matter per ha and year. The reason for this is not known, but it could be related to climate or pests. There were no significant differences in yield between the treatments. Samples from each plot from the last harvest and stored samples from 2004 were analyzed for nutrient and heavy metal content. There were only minor significant differences between the treatments: The ash and the potassium and calcium concentrations 2009 in grass from treatment A, ash from co-combustion of reed canary grass and waste, was slightly higher than in the NPK fertilized control. The magnesium concentration in 2009 was slightly higher in grass fertilized with reed canary grass ash than in the control grass. Element balances and soil concentrations of elements: Because of the low yield levels the amounts of P and K applied were much higher than the removal with harvests (Table 2). This resulted in an increase in plant available P and K in the top soil between 2003 and 2008 (Table 3). However, in the subsoil there was a decrease especially in plant available P. The only significant differences in soil nutrients between the treatments 2008 were for Ca, where treatment A had higher concentrations and Mg where treatment A and B had higher concentrations than the control. Only treatment A had an increased pH compared to the control. This is probably because reed canary grass ash is rich in silica oxide which is acidic. [Table 2. Balance between supplied and removed amounts of nutritional elements and heavy metals during the experimental period. The removed amount per hectare has been calculated from the average between analyzes from 2004 and 2009, and dry matter yield per year. The only heavy metal content available for the fertilizers was Cd content in the phosphate.] [Table 3. pH-value and content of plant nutrients 2003 (per treatment) and 2008 (per plot) in topsoil and subsoil. Analysis of plant available nutrients by extraction with ammonium lactate.] In treatment A, the amounts of heavy metals applied greatly exceeded the limits for sewage sludge set by Swedish Environmental Protection Agency.}
place = {Sweden}
year = {2011}
month = {Mar}
}