Effect of sewage sludge application on the growth of barley (hordeum sativeum, j.) and heavy metal content of soil and plant [electronic resource].

Includes reference.

The use of sewage sludge as an organic fertilizer under arid conditions is an alternative disposal route to sacrificial land disposal. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to characterize the effect of sewage sludge application on yield of barley(Hordeum sativeum, J.) grown in sandy soil for 60 days and the content of the heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Zn, and Cu) in soil and plant tissue. The sludge treatment showed the highest yield for barley when compared to control plants (soil unamended). The amendment of sludge to the soil did indicate higher heavy metal content, although the increase was not as predicted, owing to the difficulty of obtaining a representative sample in the soil. Except for Cd, heavy metal values in the soils (at the beginning and end of experiment) exceeded the guidelines due to very high background values in the soil. No negative effects of heavy metal contamination in plant parts of the crops could be proven. The results showed that the application of sludge to soils could be useful as a soil conditioner and plant fertilizer, where crop yield significantly increased over a 60 day period in the greenhouse.

Summary in Arabic.

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