Study of sewage sludge use in agriculture and its effect on plant and soil

Abstract

The plant macro and micro nutrients as well as organic matter make sludge disposal in soil an attractive option. Nitrogen has received most attention and it is normally the most abundant sludge nutrient. One of the best alternatives to waste disposal is through the soil-plant system as a fertilizer. Based on properties different wastes can be co-recycled in order to take simultaneously the best profit and minimize environmental pollution .An experiment was carried out with a calcareous soil. Using six different doses of a sewage sludge were treated. A crop barley (Hordium Vulgare, Giza 123 ) was grown in the amended soils. The application of sewage sludge to the calcareous soil lowered the pH of the soil, although the value always around 7.75-7.9 at the end of the experiment. In the barley plants it was observed that the higher the yield, the higher the nitrogen contents. Electrical conductivity rose with organic amendment. Also it improved the nutrient level of the soil, particularly nitrogen and available phosphorus.