Annals of the University of Craiova - Agriculture, Montanology, Cadastre Series
Abstract
Regular application of amendments and fertilizers in required doses causes significant and lasting chemical changes in the soil, in relation with the degree of success of crop production. Steel slag is a highly alkaline material considered a by-product of the steelmaking process. This material is used in many different applications including the amendment for acid soils. Amendment is a practice commonly used for rapid elimination of problems of soil acidification. As a product applied in agriculture, the steel slag has been studied in many parts of the world somewhat with satisfactory results. In some European countries, researches have shown an improvement in acid soil properties. The ability of the steel slag to improve the acidity of the soil can be explained by the high content of CaO and MgO and Al2O3 low. When a liming material such as limestone or steel slag is evaluated, it is compare to calcium carbonate, and its neutralizing value is called the Calcium Carbonate Equivalent (CCE) value. Application of amendments, including by-products such as steel slag can restore soil quality by balancing the pH value, organic matter intake, increasing water retention capacity, reducing compaction, etc. For reasons of environmental protection, steel slag properties should always be tested given the wide variety in terms of their physical and chemical indicators
