Enzyme activities and wheat growth response in soils amended with coal ash from the UK and Tanzania

Due to the presence of essential plant nutrients and either acid or alkaline properties, coal ash can be a valuable amendment in improving characteristics and crop productivity of alkaline or acidic soils. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of coal ash application to woodland and arable soils on soil pH, selected soil enzyme activities (dehydrogenase, acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, urease and β-glucosidase) and on vegetative growth of wheat. Two pot experiments were conducted in which wheat (Triticum aestivum var. Willow) was grown in woodland and arable soils amended with ash collected from either the UK or Tanzania, at concentrations of 0, 2, 4, 8 and 16% (w/w). Wheat was grown for 50 days. Soil amendment with UK ash at 0-16 % increased significantly (p