Characteristic of an Oxisol post-cultivation of the corn using tannery sludge vermicompost and irrigation with domestic wastewater

Abstract

The use of organic solid waste/effluent has currently been increasingly enhanced. A waste and effluent currently produced on a large scale that have potential for use in agriculture refers to sludge tannery and wastewater, respectively. However, in Brazil these residues are still little used and there is great reluctance to use them in general agriculture. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the characteristics of an Oxisol after maize cultivation (Zea mays L.) using tannery sludge vermicompost and irrigation with wastewater. After 120 days of cultivation, soil samples were collected for analysis of the: pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total organic carbon (TOC), base saturation (BS), organic matter (OM), N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn. The values for these parameters were compared between the various treatments, as well as the values observed in the soil prior to cultivation. It was observed that the tannery sludge vermicompost and irrigation with wastewater, provided little increase in pH, EC, TOC, base saturation, OM, N, P, K, Cu and Fe compared to their concentrations originally identified in the soil. Moreover, tannery sludge vermicomposts and wastewater constitute good sources of Ca, P, Mg, Mn and Zn, being able to increase the content of these elements in the soil.