Wood ashes IV: effects on nutrient absorption in plants

Abstract

By studying the feasability of using various forest- industry residues in order to improve soils, it has been concluded that wood ash, when added to various soil types, improves levels of nutrients such as P, K, Ca, and Mg, and acts as an alkaline amendment by elevating pH. The elevated pH favorably effects the availability of phosphorus and lessens the reactivity of aluminium.
The effect of ash additions to soil was studied using corn (Zea mays L.) as an indicator plant. With high additions of ash, leaf tissues showed greater biomass production and greater absorption of nutrients, verifying the possibility of using ash (by means recycling this industrial residue) to improve soil fertility.