Evaluation of sewage sludge effects on soil fertility and silage maize growth

Abstract

Different methods are being tried all over the world for the safe disposal of sewage sludge. One of these methods is to evaluate the waste in plant production by applying it to the soil. In this study, the potential of using stabilized and dried sewage sludge in silage maize cultivation was investigated. Silage maize was grown by applying the sewage sludge to the soil at different rates [0 t ha-1 (SS0-Control), 20 t ha-1 (SS2), 40 t ha-1 (SS4), 60 t ha-1 (SS6), and 80 t ha-1 (SS8)]. Thus, the material's effects on soil fertility and plant growth were examined. According to the results, the sewage sludge enriched the soil, which contains restrictive factors in terms of fertility and on which maize growth is carried out, with humus and nutrients. However, it was observed that the material does not cause salinity problems in the soil. It was determined that sewage sludge positively affected the growth of silage maize but could not provide sufficient nutrition for the plant in terms of macronutrients. Considering the economic benefits and environmental risks, applying the sewage sludge with a maximum of 60 t ha-1 in silage maize growth is appropriate. However, it would be incredibly beneficial to support the material with chemical fertilizers to increase the silage yield and quality of the plant.