Utilization of Coal Fly Ash and Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch Compost to Improve Uptake of Soil Phosphorus and Yield of Maize Grown on an Ultisol

Abstract

The study aimed at elucidating the utilization of coal fly ash and oil palm empty fruit bunch compost to improve the soil phosphorus uptake and yield of maize grown on Ultisol. The investigation was carried out in a greenhouse. The treatments tested were a combination of four coal fly ash doses (0, 20, 40, and 80 t ha-1) and three doses of oil palm empty fruit bunch compost (0, 10, and 20 t ha-1). At 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks after planting, plant height, leaf number and stem diameter were observed. At the time of harvest (10 weeks after planting), fresh and dry weights of cobs, roots, stem, leaves, and seeds, as well as P uptake on the plant tissues, were observed. The results showed that the application of coal fly ash and oil palm empty fruit bunch compost significantly increased the P uptake, growth and yield of maize. The combination of 80 t coal fly ash ha-1 with 20 t oil palm empty fruit bunch compost ha-1 resulted in the highest P uptake, growth and yield of maize. Compared to the control treatment, the increase in P uptake by maize, the fresh cob weight, the dry cob weight, the biomass dry weight, and the dry seed weight were 303.23%, 285.39%, 364.91%, 329.59% and 1,591.70%, respectively.

Utilization of indigenous phosphate-solubilizing bacteria to optimize the use of coal fly ash for increasing available-P in an Ultisol

“…The effect of CFA in increasing plant growth was shown in the research of Swamy et al (2010), which reported higher results than without CFA on plant growth, metabolism, pigment synthesis, enzyme activity, cytology, and plant yield. In addition, Fahrunsyah et al (2019) reported that the application of 20, 40, and 80 t CFA ha -1 increased plant biomass at each CFA dose level, followed by the increase in P uptake by 138.61, 169.63, and 229.72 mg plant -1 , respectively compared to that of the control treatment of 71.84 mg plant -1 . Remarks*: A = coal fly ash (0, 20 and 40 t ha -1 ); B = phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (0 and 5 L ha -1 ); P = organic fertilizer (0 and 5 t ha -1 ), WAP = weeks after planting.…”

“…Muduli et al (2014) reported that fly ash stimulated growth parameters such as length, fresh and dry weight of roots and shoots, germination rate and chlorophyll content of leguminous crops. Fahrunsyah et al (2019) reported that the use of CFA and oil palm empty bunches compost on an Ultisol of East Kalimantan had a significant effect on the growth of maize plants, where the best treatment effect was shown in the application of 80 t CFA ha -1 and 20 t oil palm empty bunches compost ha -1 . Mokolobate and Haynes (2002) stated that the utilization of Ultisols was faced with low nutrients content such as N, P, K, Ca, Mg and Mo and high solubility of Al, Fe, and Mn.…”

Growth and yield performance of maize at red-yellow podzolic acid soil after oil palm empty fruit bunches compost and rice husk charcoal application

“…Also, N contributes to an optimal growth plant because the availability of N stimulates plant height, leaves number, biomass, and other plant growth variable (Eickhout et al, 2006). The previous study conducted by Fahrunsyah et al (2019) reported that the application of oil palm empty fruit bunches compost stimulated the growth of maize on an Ultisol. In that study, they reported that the increasing growth of maize was due to the nutritional support of oil palm empty fruit bunches compost applied.…”

Circular Economy Approaches in the Palm Oil Industry: Enhancing Profitability through Waste Reduction and Product Diversification

“…In addition to biogas production, other waste materials from the palm oil industry offer potential for resource recovery and valorization. Composting EFB results in nutrient-rich organic fertilizers, enhancing soil fertility and reducing reliance on chemical fertilizers [80,81]. Studies have explored increasing the nutritional content of EFB compost with various amendments, showing the potential of these bio-based products to contribute to sustainable agriculture [82,83].…”