The effects of sewage sludge treatment on triticale straw yield and its chemical contents in rainfed condition

This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of different of sewage sludge doses on some yield traits and straw chemical contents in triticale (Triticosecale wittmack, Cv Mikham-2001).The field study was designed in randomized complete blocks (RCB) with 7 sewage sludge treatments (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 t ha-1) and 1 conventional inorganic fertilizer treatment (N, P) with 3 replicates.According to the results of this study, sewage sludge significantly increased grain filling period (day), plant height (cm), straw yield (t ha-1) and biological yield (t ha-1), except harvest index (%). The highest straw yield was obtained from the highest sewage sludge dose (30 t ha-1). Similarly, sewage sludge significantly increased the mineral (N, P, Mg, Mn and Fe) contents of triticale straw in dose dependent manner. Also, sewage sludge did not increase heavy metal (Al, Cd, Ch, Ni, Pb and Cu) concentrations in triticale straw. It was concluded from the results that application of sewage sludge at the rate of 30 t ha-1 was more beneficial in terms of better growth, higher straw yield and some yield traits of triticale under low input soil compared to control and inorganic fertilizer. At the rate of 30 t ha-1sewage sludge application could be substituted for conventional inorganic fertilizer for optimum triticale growth in marginal lands. Also, for agricultural practices, straw material obtained by the rate of 30 t ha-1 application may be recommended for animal feeding operations without any heavy metal risk. © 2017, Pakistan Agricultural Scientists Forum. All rights reserved

THE EFFECTS OF SEWAGE SLUDGE TREATMENT ON TRITICALE STRAW YIELD AND ITS CHEMICAL CONTENTS IN RAINFED CONDITION

WOS: 000406235300034This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of different of sewage sludge doses on some yield traits and straw chemical contents in triticale (Triticosecale wittmack, Cv Mikham-2001). The field study was designed in randomized complete blocks (RCB) with 7 sewage sludge treatments (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 t ha(-1)) and 1 conventional inorganic fertilizer treatment (N, P) with 3 replicates. According to the results of this study, sewage sludge significantly increased grain filling period (day), plant height (cm), straw yield (t ha-1) and biological yield (t ha(-1)), except harvest index (%). The highest straw yield was obtained from the highest sewage sludge dose (30 t ha(-1)). Similarly, sewage sludge significantly increased the mineral (N, P, Mg, Mn and Fe) contents of triticale straw in dose dependent manner. Also, sewage sludge did not increase heavy metal (Al, Cd, Ch, Ni, Pb and Cu) concentrations in triticale straw. It was concluded from the results that application of sewage sludge at the rate of 30 t ha(-1) was more beneficial in terms of better growth, higher straw yield and some yield traits of triticale under low input soil compared to control and inorganic fertilizer. At the rate of 30 t ha(-1)sewage sludge application could be substituted for conventional inorganic fertilizer for optimum triticale growth in marginal lands. Also, for agricultural practices, straw material obtained by the rate of 30 t ha1 application may be recommended for animal feeding operations without any heavy metal risk

Compositional analysis for an unbiased measure of soil aggregation

Soil aggregation is an index of soil structure measured by mean weight diameter (MWD) or scaling factors often interpreted as fragmentation fractal dimensions (D-f). However, the MWD provides a biased estimate of soil aggregation due to spurious correlations among aggregate-size fractions and scale-dependency. The scale-invariant D-f is based on weak assumptions to allow particle counts and sensitive to the selection of the fractal domain, and may frequently exceed a value of 3, implying that D-f is a biased estimate of aggregation. Aggregation indices based on mass may be computed without bias using compositional analysis techniques. Our objective was to elaborate compositional indices of soil aggregation and to compare them to MWD and D-f using a published dataset describing the effect of 7 cropping systems on aggregation. Six aggregate-size fractions were arranged into a sequence of D-1 balances of building blocks that portray the process of soil aggregation. Isometric log-ratios (ilrs) are scale-invariant and orthogonal log contrasts or balances that possess the Euclidean geometry necessary to compute a distance between any two aggregation states, known as the Aitchison distance (A(x,y)). Close correlations (r>0.98) were observed between MWD, D-f, and the ilr when contrasting large and small aggregate sizes. Several unbiased embedded ilrs can characterize the heterogeneous nature of soil aggregates and be related to soil properties or functions. Soil bulk density and penetrater resistance were closely related to A(x,y) with reference to bare fallow. The A(x,y) is easy to implement as unbiased index of soil aggregation using standard sieving methods and may allow comparisons between studies. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved