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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Adaptive Cropping Systems Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #326079
Title: Utilizing by-products in agriculture and reducing metal uptake by crops

Author
item Codling, Eton

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/26/2016
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Several million tons of industrial, municipal, and agricultural byproducts are produced annually in the United States (U.S.). Some of the byproducts that are being used in agriculture are coal combustion materials, drinking water treatment residual (DWTR), biosolids, animal manure, steel slag, and poultry litter ash. Coal combustion byproduct (CCB) is one of the largest industrial byproducts produced in the U.S. during the combustion of coal in producing electricity. Over 130 million tons of coal byproducts were produced in 2011. Most of these materials are stockpiled at production sites, stored in lagoons, or placed in land fill at increased cost to the producers. The increased cost for land filling these materials has heightened interest in using byproducts on agricultural lands as soil amendments. Of the 130 million tons of CCB produced in 2011, only 684 thousand tons were used in agriculture. The largest amount CCB used in agriculture is flue gas desulfurization gypsum (FGD-gypsum) which is used as calcium and sulfur fertilizer and for the neutralization of sodic soils. Municipal byproducts with high iron and aluminum such as (DWTR) have been shown to be very effective in reducing phosphorus loss through runoff and leaching. With the growing interest in using industrial, municipal, and agricultural byproducts on agricultural land, there is a need for long-term research to ensure that the utilization of these byproducts over time will not impact the environment negatively. Lead-arsenate was the preferred pesticide to control codling moth in apple orchards from 1900 to 1960. As a result, many old orchard soils are contaminated with lead and arsenic. With the conversion of old orchard land to vegetable crop and housing development, there are concerns of possible lead and arsenic uptake by vegetables grown on these lands. Scientist at Beltsville have demonstrated that carrots (but not potatoes) will accumulate lead and arsenic when grown on the old orchard soils, and that the application of phosphorus and iron will reduce their uptake.