Change in cotton plant quality in response to application of anaerobically digested sewage sludge.

Treated municipal sewage sludge (TSS) was applied to the cotton plant at rates of 10, 20 and 30 t/ha per year. Seed cotton yield (71.4%), lint yield (67.7%) and cottonseed yield (74.1%) were increased significantly when sludge was applied at a rate of 30 t/ha (TSS3). The effects of TSS applications on seed yield, lint yield and cottonseed yield were listed as TSS3 > TSS2 > CF > TSS1 > C according to the applications. The increasing TSS levels had a positive effect and increased the total N concentration compared to the control. The highest N value was observed in TSS3 plots, while the lowest value was recorded in control (C) plots. The highest P value was found in control (C) at 0.80% and in 10 t/ha (TSS1) at 0.80%, while the lowest value was found in the TSS2 application (0.70%). The K concentration of cottonseed increased with the increasing TSS rates, from 1.56% in control plots to 2.20% in 20 t/ha application (TSS2). Corresponding to the TSS levels, the calcium of plant tissues was determined by a range of 0.12-0.13%. The treatments of TSS and mineral fertilizer had similar effects on the Mg content of cottonseed, which was in the range of 0.38-0.43%. Na content in plant tissue increased with increasing dose of sludge application compared to control soils. Increasing doses of TSS had no significant effect on the concentrations of iron (Fe), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn) and boron (B) in cottonseed. The order of the elements with respect to their amounts in cottonseed was as follows: Fe > Zn > Na > B > Mn > Cu. The concentrations of non-essential elements (Ni, Cd, Cr, Pb, Hg and As) in cottonseed were below the permissible limits.

Risk of boron and heavy metal pollution from agro-industrial wastes applied for plant nutrition.

In this study, the effects of various agro-industrial wastes were investigated when applied to soil alone or in combination with chemical fertilizers, regarding the risks of boron and heavy metal pollution of soils and plants. Nine combinations of production residues from various agro-industries, urban wastes, and mineral fertilizers were applied to potatoes in a field experiment. The content of available boron in the soil differed significantly (p < 0.05) among the applications. Generally, B values were found to be slightly higher when soapstock, prina, and blood were used alone or in combination. Although total Co, Cd, and Pb contents of soils showed no significant differences between the applications, Cr content differed significantly (p < 0.05). No pollution risk was observed in soil in respect to total Co, Cd, Pb, and Cr contents. The amount of boron and heavy metals in leaves showed no significant differences among the applications. Cobalt, Cd, and Pb in leaves were at normal levels whereas Cr was slightly above normal but well under the critical level. Boron was low in tubers and varied significantly between applications such as Co and Cd. The Co content of tubers was high, Cd and Cr contents were below average, and Pb content was between the given values. Some significant correlations were found between soil characteristics and the boron and heavy metal content of soil, leaves, and tubers.