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• conjunction with fertilization during the earlier years following reseeding. After <br />five growing seasons at the sodic North Beulah site It was reported that <br />perennial production on the slack coal plots was no different than those on <br />the control plots. Application of fertilizer with the slack coal treatment yielded <br />the highest overall production. <br />The response of egress-legume mixture amended with gypsum, sulfuric <br />acid and leonardite, or oxidized lignite, to sodic Glenharold mine spoil were <br />reported by Safaya and Wali (1979). They concluded that the addition of <br />leonardite resuRed in signficant reductions in pH, SP and K with <br />corresponding increases in EC, P, and Zn. <br />Subsequent laboratory studies conducted in North Dakota, <br />(Malakondaiah and Safaya 1982) revealed that the addition of leonardite to <br />germination media of poorly germinating native species significantly improved <br />the percent germination of these species. The humic acid associated with the <br />leonardite was found to significantly increase the percent germination and <br />radicle length of alfalfa. It was recommended that leonardite could be used <br />as an amendment to increase the germination of potential poor germinators. <br />They reported that the addRion of leonardfte would increase the amount of <br />humic and fuNic acids, improve the texture of clayey spoil materials as welt <br />as reduce crusting. Root initiation and elongation as well as plant color were <br />reported to be improved by the addition of this oxidized coal material. In <br />another greenhouse study, the addition of leonardite to sodic low nitrogen <br />• Glenharold Mine spoil was reported to stimulate plant growth when nitrogen <br />levels were low. No yield response differences were reported for the three <br />species tested to the addition of leonardite to the spoil medium. <br />In New Mexico, researchers evaluated the effectiveness of humates, or <br />lithologic materials corresponding to carbonaceous mudstones, claystones, <br />shales or oxidized low~rade coal on the reclamation of abandoned uranium <br />spoils (Gosz et. al. 1977 and Gosz et. al. 1978). These authors reported that <br />the humic acid content of oxidized coal decreased as a resurt of weathering <br />and that humic acid content was related to the depth of the humate samples. <br />The growth of fungi and bacteria was stimulated to a much greater degree <br />by subsurface humate than by surface humates. <br />Reclamation field studies evaluated the effects of a humate amendment <br />to uranium mine spoils relative to soil properties, soil microbes, planted <br />species response, as well as elemental uptake of numerous elements. The <br />highest concentrations of soil bacteria and fungi were associated with barley <br />roots growing in the 714 kg/ha humate plots. It was also reported that under <br />certain conditions, the addition of humate materials to the fungal nutrient <br />growth media stimulated the growth of the fungi. The plant uptake of some <br />ten elements was found to be unaffected by the application of humates for <br />the planted species. Plant yields nine months after planting were found to be <br />stimulated by the addition of humates under field conditions. In a <br />greenhouse study it was reported that the addition of humates stimulated, <br />aRhough not signficanty, the biomass of galleta grass and fourwing saltbush. <br />• <br />19 <br />