Liang et al. (2024): Synergistic advantages of volcanic ash weathering in saline soils: CO2 sequestration and enhancement of plant growth

Bing Liang, Jianbing Wei, Shangyu Wu, Heyang Hao IN: Science of The Total Environment, 925, 171825, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171825

The scientific premise of this study is that CO₂ sequestration in agriculturally relevant, organically-deficient saline soil can be achieved by incorporating alkaline earth silicates. Volcanic ash (VA) was used as a soil amendment for CO₂ removal from saline soil by leveraging enhanced silicate rock weathering (ERW). The study pursued two primary objectives: first, the authors aimed to evaluate the impact of various doses of VA, employed as an amendment for organically-deficient soil, on the growth performance of key cultivated crops (sorghum and mung bean) in inland saline-alkaline agricultural regions of northeastern China. Second, they aimed to assess alterations in the physical properties of the amended soil through mineralogical examinations, utilizing X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) analyses, quantifying the increase in inorganic carbon content within the soil.

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