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Production Paper

Application of Wood Ash to Acidic Boralf Soils and its Effect on Oilseed Quality of Canola

^a Dep. of Biol. Sci., Univ. of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada
^b Agric. and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge Res. Cent., P.O. Box 3000, Lethbridge, AB T1J 4B1, Canada
^c Alberta-Pacific Forest Industries, Inc., Boyle, AB T0A 0M0, Canada

^* Corresponding author (thomas{at}uleth.ca)

Received for publication July 21, 2003. Acidic Typic Cryoboralf soils amended with wood ash can raise soil pH and can supplement plant growth by adding minerals and micronutrients. However, presence of other elements in soils such as Cd, S, and Zn can affect plant growth and seed quality. In an earlier paper, we have shown that wood ash applications on Typic Cryoboralf and Typic Cryocrept soils in Alberta, Canada, increased canola (Brassica rapa L.) yield by 72%. In this study, the effect of a single application of 0, 6, 12.5, and 25 t ha^–1 (dry weight) wood ash on oilseed quality, based on oil, protein, chlorophyll, and glucosinolate content, was examined over three growing seasons from 1998 to 2000. Seed oil and protein content of ash-treated plots either increased or remained the same as controls. In contrast, significant increases (p < 0.05) in tissue concentrations of S and seed oil glucosinolates were observed in ash-amended plots. While these changes remained within acceptable limits for canola, seed oil and tissue quality were lower than the average level found in Canada no. 1 grade canola. During the 3-yr period, average Zn content of the oilseed was not different from control plots (P > 0.05). Levels of B in ash-treated soils were different from each other but not from the controls (P < 0.05). Cadmium levels were below detection limits for the instrumentation used (0.08 mg kg^–1). These results indicate that use of wood ash on acidic soils has the potential to increase seed oil content but may adversely affect quality of the oilseed produced.