Sewage sludge compost in zoysia grass sod production

Abstract

This study evaluated whether the use of composted sewage sludge in zoysia grass sod production can partially or completely substitute fertilization based on urea. The experiment was conducted on a sod farm located in Itapetininga, São Paulo State, Brazil. The experimental design was a complete randomized block design with five replications and experimental plots of 5 m2 in a 2x6 factorial scheme. The first factor was the method of application (single or split), and the second factor was composted sewage sludge fertilization and two controls (no fertilization and a standard dose of conventional fertilizer). The conventional fertilizer (urea) dose corresponds to 300 kg N ha-1 and the sewage compost doses correspond to 100, 200, 300, and 400 kg N ha-1 . The experiment began with the liming of the total area at 60 days after the previous harvest of zoysia grass sod. Three methods were used to evaluate sod production: soil cover rate, green color intensity, and leaf analysis. At 212 days after the beginning of the experiment, the compost treatment of 30 Mg ha-1 (300 kg ha-1 of N), applied in a single dose, allowed for complete sod formation (100% soil cover rate).

Aesthetic and sensory quality of Emerald grass (Zoysia japonica) as a function of substrate cultivation and mineral fertilization

“…Ornamental turfgrass will assume a prominent place in the world, mainly due to their great aesthetic value and diverse functionalities (Santos and Castilho, 2018a). Where, in last years, several species were introduced in Brazil (Godoy et al, 2012), with Emerald grass (Zoysia japonica) being the most commercialized in the country (Mota et al, 2019).…”

“…The fertilization of turfgrass, mainly nitrogen, gives intense green color, brightness, greater growth, recovery from injuries and closure of the turfgrass (Mota et al, 2019). Therefore, it is the main nutrient involved in the aesthetic quality of the plant (Oliveira et al, 2018).…”

Regrowth and ornamental traits of bermudagrass fertilized with sewage sludge

“…The presence of organic matter in the residue has a direct influence on physical and biological properties of soils, increasing soil porosity and facilitating water drainage and, avoiding surface runoff (Silva et al, 2018). Several studies have demonstrated the potential of sewage sludge as a fertilizer (Lira et al, 2008;Nobile et al, 2014;Backes et al, 2017;Mota et al, 2019).…”

“…Nitrogen is an important component of molecules involved in chlorophyll synthesis (Santos and Castilho, 2018;Wu et al, 2019), granting an intense green color in lawns, greater density (closed and flawless lawns), reducing the recovery time to mechanical injuries, mainly caused by trampling (Gazola et al, 2016;Santos et al, 2019). Thus, the use of sewage sludge as a source of N, can be a promising alternative to substitute mineral fertilizer (Mota et al, 2019) and to mitigate the impact of sewage sludge production. However, studies on the use of sewage sludge in turfgrass is restricted to emerald turfgrass (Zoysia japonica) (Backes et al, 2017;Mota et al, 2019), and bermudagrass (Cynodon spp.)…”

“…Thus, the use of sewage sludge as a source of N, can be a promising alternative to substitute mineral fertilizer (Mota et al, 2019) and to mitigate the impact of sewage sludge production. However, studies on the use of sewage sludge in turfgrass is restricted to emerald turfgrass (Zoysia japonica) (Backes et al, 2017;Mota et al, 2019), and bermudagrass (Cynodon spp.) (Nobile et al, 2014).…”