Fly ash application in soil for sustainable agriculture: an Indian overview

A huge quantity of fly ash (FA) that is being generated as a residue from the coal combustion process is nowadays considered as a challenging solid waste all around the globe. The FA production leads to various environmental problems due to the enormous area required for its proper disposal as well as heavy metal toxicity associated with it. A few decades back FA was regarded as solid waste and a major cause of air, soil, and water pollution, and however, over a period FA has proven its value and is now recognized as a valuable material for various applications. The utility of FA in agriculture to amend soil properties is gaining popularity in recent times. FA addition in soil improves electrical conductivity, water holding capacity, organic carbon content, soil porosity and provides essential nutrients for plant growth. FA works as a soil conditioner to improve the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soil. In agriculture, FA application in soil has shown encouraging results concerning crop production due to enhanced nutrient availability and physicochemical properties of FA amended soil. The present review explores the Indian scenario of FA incorporation in different soils for improved crop production, safe consumption, and sustainable agriculture.