Effect of continuous application of rice husk ash (RHA) on inceptisols of palakkad eastern plains
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Date
2016
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Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry,College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara
Abstract
The study entitled “Effect of continuous application of rice husk ash (RHA) on Inceptisols of Palakkad Eastern plains” was conducted during 2014 - 16 in the Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara with the objective of finding out the physical and chemical changes of soil resultant to continuous application of RHA and its relationship with performance of coconut palms. Vadavannur region under Inceptisol soil order of Palakkad Eastern plains stands out as a location where RHA (the product obtained on partial oxidation of rice husk, from rice mill, at a temperature around 250 to 400oC) is continuously being applied in the field for three decades along with inorganic nutrients to the coconut palms at the rate of four to five baskets/palm on volume basis. In this study, RHA samples were collected from the rice mills and analyzed for its composition in terms of carbon, macro and micro nutrients and the beneficial element silicon.
Further, representative surface soil samples were collected during August -December 2015 from four RHA amended and non- amended locations of the Palakkad Eastern plains (Vadavannur, Muthalamada, Thathamangalam and Mullakkalkolambu) and its physico- chemical properties were determined. The index leaves (14th leaf) of coconut palms were also collected from RHA amended and non-amended locations and biometric characters (length of index leaf, total number of leaflets per index leaf, average length and width of leaflets, number of bunches per palm and average yield) were recorded. Samples of soil and plant were analyzed for different nutrients viz. C, N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Na and Si.
Analysis of RHA revealed that its pH was alkaline (7.5-8.3). Cation exchange capacity of the material ranged from 7.5 to 9.5 cmol(+) kg-1. Chemical constituents included Si (35%), C (7%), N (0.18- 0.27%), P (0.39-0.57%), K (0.35-0.58%), Ca (0.08- 0.1%), Mg (0.09-0.2%) and micronutrients in trace amounts. On comparison of the physical properties of soil in amended and non-amended locations, the aggregate stability, infiltration rate, water holding capacity and porosity were found to be positively influenced by RHA application. The content of total N, total and available P and K and available Si of soils showed significant increase in amended regions. Exchangeable cations and effective cation exchange capacity were also more in the RHA amended regions. The content of total carbon and particulate organic carbon especially that associated with micro-aggregates was high in the amended area as compared to the nonamended area.
A significant difference in the biometric observations of index leaves (length of index leaves and total number of leaflets per index leaf) of palms in amended location as against non-amended locations was another noticeable feature. The palms under integrated nutrient management along with RHA yielded more. The average yield per palm was observed as 86 nuts/year. The content of major nutrients, Ca and Si in the index leaves was also recorded high in the RHA amended palms.
The farmers of Vadavannur region resorted to RHA application only with an objective to address the issue of environmental nuisance and menace, without attributing any scientific rationale on its value as a soil amendment. The results of the present study indicate the benefit of application of RHA in improving the physical and chemical properties of soil. The alkaline pH of RHA establishes its suitability as an alternative liming material for acid soils to improve the soil fertility and productivity. It is suggested that further studies conducted under designed experimental stipulations for validation of RHA would decipher more precise information on its suitability as a balanced material for soil amendment.
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