Globally, the increasing demand for coal has led to a corresponding rise in the production of fly ash, a by-product of coal combustion. While fly ash has found significant applications in the construction industry due to its pozzolanic properties, its use in agriculture, particularly as a soil amendment or fertilizer, has raised environmental and health concerns. In greenhouse experiments, this study aimed to assess the effects of soils amended with fly ash (FA; 0, 5, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50%) on Vicia faba L. (faba bean). The experiments were conducted to study the plant growth characteristics, photosynthesis variables, activity of nitrate reductase, damage indicators (reactive oxygen species, malondialdehyde, and cell viability), defense characteristics (proline and antioxidant enzyme activity) and yield parameters. Five replicates of each of the seven treatments were set up in a randomized block design. Among the FA-proportions tested, 40 and 50% caused significant decreases in plant growth characteristics, biochemical and yield attributes. Increases in reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents corroborated these decreases in the mentioned parameters. However, in soils amended with 5% and 10% FA, plants exhibited significant (p <= 0.05) improvements in the mentioned parameters of growth, photosynthesis, stomata and cell viability, accompanied by the decreased contents of ROS and MDA, and coordinated increases in the activity of superoxide dismutase, catalase and peroxidases. Therefore, we concluded that 10% fly ash dose (lower doses) of FA might be considered an appropriate dose for faba bean cultivation in terms of safe FA utilization practices and sustainable maintenance of the biological and physicochemical health of the soil.

来源平台：AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH