Coal fly ash and farmyard manure amendments in dry-land paddy agriculture field: Effect on N-dynamics and paddy productivity

▶ A field study was conducted to assess the influence of fly ash (FA) and farmyard manure (FYM) amendments on the dynamics of inorganic-N (NH4+ and NO3−), N-mineralization and nitrification rates and paddy yields. ▶ FA amendment had great impact on soil available-N, N-transformation processes and paddy yields, which depends strongly on the combined FA + FYM application. ▶ The improvement in soil characteristics due to FA and FYM amendments resulted in the enhanced soil N-mineralization and nitrification rates and paddy productivity. ▶ FA and FYM in combined state can be used as a potential amendment strategy to enrich the soil productivity in nutrient poor soils of dry-tropical regions.