The Journal of Experimental Life Sciences (JELS)
Vol. 15 No. 2 (2025)

Utilization of Fly Ash as a Compost Amendment in Enhancing the Growth of Mustard Plants

Aziz, Abdul (Unknown)
Khusaini, Mohammad (Unknown)
Parmawati, Rita (Unknown)



Article Info

Publish Date
30 Jun 2025

Abstract

Fly ash is the primary non-hazardous waste generated during the electricity production process in coal-fired steam power plants, such as thermal power stations (Pembangkit Listrik Tenaga Uap - PLTU) Paiton. Tests of fly ash characteristics have shown that it contains beneficial compounds, including silicon (Si), aluminum (Al), iron (Fe), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na), and potassium (K), which can serve as valuable nutrients for plants. This study aims to assess the advantages of incorporating fly ash into compost as a mixture for the growth of mustard plants. Utilizing a quantitative approach, the research involved monitoring the height and leaf count of the test plants. The preparation of fly ash-based compost (FABA) was accomplished by blending fly ash with compost fertilizer in a 1:1 ratio. Five different compositions of planting media mixed with FABA compost were evaluated: K1 (0%) as the control, K2 (25%), K3 (50%), K4 (75%), and K5 (100%), with five replications for each. The results indicated that the most favorable plant height growth occurred with a mixture containing 25% compost-fly ash, yielding an average plant height of 11.45 cm and an average of 9 leaves per plant. An ANOVA test performed on the research data confirmed a significant difference attributed to the inclusion of fly ash in the compost mixture. When appropriately utilized, fly ash can provide farmers with a solution to reduce reliance on chemical fertilizers, thereby promoting more environmentally friendly agricultural practices.  

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Journal Info

Abbrev

jels

Publisher

Subject

Biochemistry, Genetics & Molecular Biology Immunology & microbiology Medicine & Pharmacology Neuroscience

Description

The Journal of Experimental Life Science (JELS) is a scientific journal published by Postgraduate School, University of Brawijaya as distribution media of Indonesian researcher’s results in life science to the wider community. JELS is published in every four months. JELS published scientific ...