Muhammad Jamil Khan and Muhammad Qasim

pp. 281 - 289

Abstract

Regular application of commercial fertilizers and increased crop yield, also degrade soils physically and chemically and increase the input cost. Sugar industry wastes can be used as soil amendments to improve crop yield, soil physicochemical characteristics and provide a reasonable economic means to recycle these wastes in an environmentally friendly manner. To achieve this objective, sugar industry boiler ash was applied to wheat crop in pots having 20 kg soil @ 3, 12, 25,50, 125 and 250 t ha^-1 respectively, compared to the control. Same doses of boiler ash were also applied to wheat crop in the field experiment. A basal dose of NPK, 120, 90, and 60 kg ha^-1 respectively, was also applied with boiler ash before sowing
of wheat crop in both experiments. The soil under investigation was calcareous in nature, having a high pH (8.2), low in organic matter (8200 mg kg^-1), and deficient in N (300 mg kg^-1), P (7.5 mg kg^-1) and Zn (6.2 mg kg^-1). Boiler ash was rich in micronutrients like Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu and also contained sufficient amount of Ca, Mg, Na, S, K and P. Consequently, total porosity of soil, available P, S and K, Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu content in soil, increased with the levels of boiler ash application. On the other hand, dry bulk density declined which is a positive effect. EC_eand pH of the soil was minutely increased. Yields and most of the yield components of wheat crop in pots, as well as in the field experiment, also increased due to boiler ash application. It is recommended that application of boiler ash @ 50 t  ha^-1 will result in enhanced yield of wheat in calcareous soil.

Keywords

• organic fertilizers
• boiler ash
• soil nutrients
• soil characteristics
• wheat yield