title: Fly ash addition affects microbial biomass and carbon mineralization in agricultural soils.
abstract: The microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and carbon mineralization of fly ash (FA) amended soil at (0 %, 1.25 %, 2.5 %, 5 %, 10 % and 20 % FA; v/v) was investigated under laboratory conditions for 120 days at 60 % soil water-holding capacity and 25 ± 1°C temperature. The results demonstrated that soil respiration and microbial activities were not suppressed up to 2.5 % FA amendment and these activities decreased significantly at 10 % and 20 % FA treatment with respect to control. Application of 10 % and 20 % FA treated soils showed a decreasing trend of soil MBC with time; and the decrease was significant throughout the period of incubation. The study concluded that application of FA up to 2.5 % can thus be safely used without affecting the soil biological activity and thereby improve nutrient cycling in agricultural soils.
authors.affiliation: Crop Production Division, Central Rice Research Institute, Cuttack, 753 006, Orissa, India, aknayak20@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Nayak
authors.forename: Anjani
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Raja
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.forename: Sangita
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mohanty
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shahid
authors.forename: Rahul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tripathy
authors.forename: B B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Panda
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bhattacharyya
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D018533:Biomass; D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D060729:Coal Ash / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D012037:Refuse Disposal; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D060729:Coal Ash; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D002244:Carbon