Effects of amino acid-modified biomass ash on maize growth and the physicochemical properties of soils across a pH gradient.

Authors

Qi Liu, Yaoxin Zhang, Xuchao Sun, Xiaoshuo Zeng, Chunhong Yang, Lanfeng Li, Rongteng Zhao, Yan Tang, Weibao Xu, Wenbing Zhou

Published in

Bioresource technology. Pages 136125. Oct 25, 2026. Epub Oct 25, 2026.

Abstract

Biomass ash (BA) can supply nutrients, and its alkalinity influences its suitability for different soils. This study evaluated the effects of amino acid modification on BA characteristics, soil physicochemical properties, and maize performance. BA was wet-modified with an acidic amino acid solution to prepare amino acid-modified biomass ash (MBA). A 75-day incubation and one-season maize field experiments compared BA and MBA in five soils with contrasting initial properties and pH values of 4.36-7.64. MBA/CaO co-application was tested in the three acidic soils. Modification produced a CaSO₄·2H₂O-based material containing organic constituents and decreased material pH from 11.67 to 3.23. Relative to the fertilized control within each soil, BA increased field soil pH by 0.13-0.76 units, whereas MBA decreased it by 0.17-0.30 units. MBA/CaO co-application increased field pH by 0.28-0.50 units and yield by 33.1 %-60.2 % in acidic soils. MBA increased yield by 40.1 % and 14.1 % in neutral and alkaline soils, respectively. These treatments increased net photosynthetic rate by 12.3 %-28.2 % and grain crude protein content by 24.2 %-52.2 %. The field responses were significant (p < 0.05). During incubation in the extremely acidic soil, MBA/CaO increased the water-stable macroaggregate fraction (> 0.25 mm) from 65.13 % in the unamended control to 85.80 % (p < 0.05). These findings support MBA/CaO co-application in the tested acidic soils and MBA alone in neutral and alkaline soils, with amendment selection guided by initial soil properties and nutrient requirements.

PMID:
42927838
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 26 Oct 2026.

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