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ARS Home » Midwest Area » St. Paul, Minnesota » Plant Science Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #103528
Title: SOLID AND SOLUTION CHEMISTRY OF SOILS AMENDED WITH GASIFIED ALFALFA STEM ASH

Author
item MOZAFFARI, MORTEZA - UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
item ROSEN, CARL - UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
item Russelle, Michael
item NATER, EDWARD - UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA

Submitted to: Agronomy Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/20/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Earlier research has indicated that alfalfa stems are a suitable feedstock for energy generation by the gasification process. A laboratory incubation and chemical speciation modeling experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of gasified alfalfa stem ash on solid and solution chemistry of two soils representing some of the diverse soil properties found in Minnesota, a Barnes clay loam (pH of 7.5) and a Hubbard sand (pH of 5.0). Soils were amended with seven ash rates ranging from zero to 106 mg/kg. Soil solution was extracted by the immiscible liquid displacement technique at 10, 30, and 100 days and analyzed for metals, nutrients, pH, and EC. Soil samples also were analyzed for similar parameters. Ash application increased soil pH, EC, extractable P, and exchangeable cations. Incubation time did not have a pronounced effect on many of these parameters. Effects of ash on soil solution composition and chemical speciation as predicted by ythe MINTEQ3 model and their implications for environmental management of ash will be discussed.