Mineral Concentrations of Forage Legumes and Grasses Grown in Acidic Soil Amended with Flue Gas Desulfurization Products

Abstract

Considerable quantities of flue gas desulfurization products (FGDs) are generated when coal is burned for production of electricity, and these products have the potential to be reused rather than discarded. Use of FGDs as soil amendments could be important in overall management of these products, especially on acidic soils. Glasshouse studies were conducted to determine shoot concentrations of calcium (Ca), sulfur (S), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), phosphorus (P), boron (B), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), aluminum (Al), sodium (Na), molybdenum (Mo), nickel (Ni), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), and lead (Pb) in alfalfa (Medicago sativa), white clover (Trifolium repens), orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata), tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea), switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), and eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides) grown in acidic (pH 4) soil (Typic Hapludult) amended with various levels of three FGDs and the control compounds CaCO₃, CaSO₃, and CaSO₄. Shoot concentrations of Ca, S, Mg, and B generally increased as levels of soil applied FGD increased. Concentrations of Mn, Fe, Zn, Cu were lower in shoots, especially when soil pH was high (>7). Shoot concentrations of the trace elements Mo, Ni, Cd, Cr, and Pb were not above those reported as normal for foliage. Overall concentrations of most minerals remained near normal for shoots when plants were grown in FGD amended acidic soil.

Keywords:

• Macro nutrients
• Micro nutrients
• Non essential trace metals
• Flue gas desulfurization products
• Legumes
• Grasses
• Acid soil

Acknowledgments

We thank Drs. C.D. Foy and Moustafa El Rashidi for their excellent peer review of this manuscript, and Dr. K.D. Ritchey for help in manuscript review and preparation. We thank Ms. S.K. Zeto for technical assistance.

Notes

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