Effects of land application of municipal solid sewage sludge and waste plant compost on wheat growth and soil enzymatic activities

Abstract

With rapidly growing industrialization and urbanization, nowadays nations face countless problems; one of them is declining soil fertility. In this study we aimed to improve soil fertility and biological activity by adding organic amendments, which includes municipal solid sewage sludge (MSSS) and waste plant compost (WPC). Inappropriate utilization of organic matter can impact negatively on soil fertility and plant growth. A pot experiment study was conducted to investigate the potential of 6 weeks of consecutive application of municipal solid sewage sludge and waste plant compost response of wheat (Triticum durum) to different doses (0, 15, 30, and 45%: w/w) to restore brown forest soil functions. Plant growth, shoot biomasses and heights, ratios and chlorophyll content was considered. Soil fertility parameters including Soil pH, moisture content, total organic carbon, soil total nitrogen content and soil enzyme activities i.e. fluorescein diacetate, dehydrogenase, β- glucosidase, urease activity, and alkaline phosphatase as well as aryl-sulfatase were measured. Evaluating the results, it can be stated that organic waste has an improving effect on the enzymatic activities and plant growth parameters in all cases; therefore, it can be of great help to agriculture and crop production. It is shown that application of waste plant compost has more soil biological improvement than the municipal solid sewage sludge, with 15 and 30% organic waste.