Coal Fly Ash and Polyacrylamide Influence Transport and Redistribution of Soil Nitrogen in a Sandy Sloping Land

Kai Yang, Zejun Tang and Jianzhang Feng
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Kai Yang: College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
Zejun Tang: College of Water Resources and Civil Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
Jianzhang Feng: College of Water Resources and Civil Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China

Agriculture, 2021, vol. 11, issue 1, 1-15

Abstract: Sandy soils are prone to nutrient losses, and consequently do not have as much as agricultural productivity as other soils. In this study, coal fly ash (CFA) and anionic polyacrylamide (PAM) granules were used as a sandy soil amendment. The two additives were incorporated to the sandy soil layer (depth of 0.2 m, slope gradient of 10°) at three CFA dosages and two PAM dosages. Urea was applied uniformly onto the low-nitrogen (N) soil surface prior to the simulated rainfall experiment (rainfall intensity of 1.5 mm/min). The results showed that compared with no addition of CFA and PAM, the addition of CFA and/or PAM caused some increases in the cumulative NO 3 − -N and NH 4 + -N losses with surface runoff; when the rainfall event ended, 15% CFA alone treatment and 0.01–0.02% PAM alone treatment resulted in small but significant increases in the cumulative runoff-associated NO 3 − -N concentration ( p < 0.05), meanwhile 10% CFA + 0.01% PAM treatment and 15% CFA alone treatment resulted in nonsignificant small increases in the cumulative runoff-associated NH 4 + -N concentration ( p > 0.05). After the rainfall event, both CFA and PAM alone treatments increased the concentrations of NO 3 − -N and NH 4 + -N retained in the sandy soil layer compared with the unamended soil. As the CFA and PAM co-application rates increased, the additive effect of CFA and PAM on improving the nutrient retention of sandy soil increased.

Keywords: fly ash; polyacrylamide; sandy soil; nitrate nitrogen; ammonia nitrogen (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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