Potassium, Sulfur, and Liming Value of Ash Co‐Product from Corn Stover Processing for Ethanol Production
2018
Groenenboom, Samuel J. | Mallarino, Antonio P.
CORE IDEAS: Residue from using corn stover for ethanol production is being used to produce energy.Burning of organic and mineral residue produces ash with unknown soil amendment value.Crop and soil measurements showed ash K, S, liming value is similar to common sources. Ash results from the processing of corn (Zea mays L.) stover for ethanol production and subsequent combustion to produce electricity. However, the potential value of this ash as a soil amendment has not been fully evaluated. Preliminary chemical analyses of the ash obtained for this study showed potential to raise soil pH and supply K and S. This potential was evaluated at two Iowa fields comparing ash with KCl fertilizer, gypsum, and CaCO₃. Three 2‐yr separate K, S, and lime trials were established at each site, where several rates of each material were applied only the first year. Corn was planted in 2014 and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] in 2015. Soil samples (15‐cm depth) were taken at the V6 growth stage of each crop and after crop harvest for analyses of pH, soil‐test K, and extractable SO₄–². Leaf samples were taken at the corn R1 growth stage and soybean R3 growth stage for analyses of total K and S. There were large K effects on grain yield, soil‐test K, and leaf K concentration but no differences between the K sources. First‐year soil SO₄–² at the V6 corn growth stage and leaf S at the corn R1 stage showed that S supplied by the ash was less than for gypsum, but other measurements were inconclusive as of differences between the S sources. The ash had liming value comparable to pure CaCO₃.
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