Planned Application of Sewage Sludge Recirculates Nutrients to Agricultural Soil and Improves Growth of Okra ( Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench) Plants

Ebrahem M. Eid, Kamal H. Shaltout, Saad A. M. Alamri, Sulaiman A. Alrumman, Mostafa A. Taher, Ahmed F. El-Bebany, Mohamed Hashem, Tarek M. Galal, Yasser S. Mostafa, Mohamed T. Ahmed, Nasser Sewelam and Afaf A. Nessem
Additional contact information
Ebrahem M. Eid: Biology Department, College of Science, King Khalid University, Abha 61321, Saudi Arabia
Kamal H. Shaltout: Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Tanta 31527, Egypt
Saad A. M. Alamri: Biology Department, College of Science, King Khalid University, Abha 61321, Saudi Arabia
Sulaiman A. Alrumman: Biology Department, College of Science, King Khalid University, Abha 61321, Saudi Arabia
Mostafa A. Taher: Biology Department, College of Science, King Khalid University, Abha 61321, Saudi Arabia
Ahmed F. El-Bebany: Plant Pathology Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Alexandria University, Alexandria 21545, Egypt
Mohamed Hashem: Biology Department, College of Science, King Khalid University, Abha 61321, Saudi Arabia
Tarek M. Galal: Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Helwan University, Cairo 11790, Egypt
Yasser S. Mostafa: Biology Department, College of Science, King Khalid University, Abha 61321, Saudi Arabia
Mohamed T. Ahmed: Biology Department, College of Science, King Khalid University, Abha 61321, Saudi Arabia
Nasser Sewelam: Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Tanta 31527, Egypt
Afaf A. Nessem: Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Tanta 31527, Egypt

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 2, 1-13

Abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of using sewage sludge (SS) biosolids as a low-cost soil fertilizer to improve soil characteristics and crop yields. Okra ( Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench) plants were grown in soil supplemented with different concentrations of SS (0, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 g/kg). The results showed that SS soil application led to improved soil quality with a 93% increase of organic matter (at SS dose of 10 g/kg), decreased pH (a reduction from 8.38 to 7.34), and enhanced macro- and micro- nutrient contents. The levels of all the investigated heavy metals (HMs; Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in the postharvest SS-amended soil were within the prescribed safe limits. The application of SS to soil considerably enhanced the growth parameters of okra plants. Total biomass increased 13-fold and absolute growth rate increased 10-fold compared to plants grown in nonamended (control) soils. Among the applied SS doses, the 10 g/kg SS dose led to the highest values of the measured growth parameters, compared to those of plants grown in control soils. The induced growth at 10 g/kg SS was accompanied by a substantial increase in metal content in roots, stems, leaves, and fruits; however, all levels remained within safe limits. Consequently, the data presented in this study suggest that SS could be used as a sustainable organic fertilizer, also serving as an ecofriendly method of SS recycling.

Keywords: agriculture; bio-fertilizers; soil amendment; okra plant; heavy metals (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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