Short-Term Effects of Boiler Ash on Soil Microbial Population, Organic Carbon, Nitrogen Mineralization and Cowpea Biomass | Chapter 08 | New Perspectives in International Plant and Soil Research Vol. 1
Recycling boiler ash through the soil given their neutralizing capacity and phyto nutrient concentrations can also result in deterioration of soil quality parameters such as soil microbial biomass, communities, organic carbon and nitrogen mineralization, which in turn affects crop health, productivity, and soil sustainable productivity. The objective of this study was to assess modifications in soil pH, soil electrical conductivity, soil microbial population, organic carbon, nitrogen mineralization, and cowpea performance at 30, 60, and 90 days after planting in boiler ash (BA) alone, mixtures of BA with soil and poultry dropping (PM). The experiment was a completely randomized design conducted in a screen house for 90 days. The result shows that following a 30, 60 and 90 days’ incorporation period, BA alone or in mixtures with soil or PM significantly (p<0.5) increased soil pH and microbial activity but inhibit fungal growth and had little effect on cowpea biomass growth. The co...