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Land Disposal of Liquid Sewage Sludge: II. The Effect on Soil pH, Manganese, Zinc, and Growth and Chemical Composition of Rye (Secale cereale L.)¹

ABSTRACT

Rye was seeded in October 1969 and 1970 in a Coastal bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon L. Pers.) sod on Cecil sandy clay loam to determine the residual effect of four rates of liquid sewage sludge and one chemical fertilizer treatment applied the previous summer. Sludge rates of 0.63, 1.25, 2.5, and 5.0 cm were applied in such a manner as to supply 4.4, 8.8, 10, and 20 cm of sludge, respectively, in 1969 and 2.5, 5.0, 10 and 20 cm, respectively, in 1970. Chemical fertilizer supplied 224-37-93 kg/ha of NPK in 1969 and 358-112-224 in 1970. The chemical fertilizer plots also received 56-25-47 kg/ha of NPK in October when the rye was planted and 84 kg/ha of N the following February. Soil and the accumulated sludge crust were sampled and lime (6.7 metric tons/ha) applied as a split plot treatment just prior to planting rye in 1970.

Sludge treatments decreased soil pH and increased exchangeable and water-soluble Mn and exchangeable Zn in the soil. Up to 29 kg/ha of exchangeable and 12.7 kg/ha of water-soluble Zn was found in the sludge crust. In 1969-70 and at the zero lime rate in 1970-71 maximum rye yields were obtained with chemical fertilizer and the 1.25- and 2.5-cm rate. With lime there were no significant differences among the 0.63-, 1.25-, and 2.5-cm rates and chemical fertilizer. In 1969–70 and at both lime rates in 1970–71 yields were reduced by the 5-cm rate as compared to the 1.25- and 2.5-cm rates. Significant yield increases due to liming occurred at the 5-cm rate only. Reduced yields at the 5-cm rate were probably due to high forage levels of Zn and possibly Cu rather than deficiencies of N, P, K, Ca, or Mg or high levels of Mn, B, Mo, or Al.

Key Words: micronutrient toxicity • copper • chemical fertilizer

¹ A contribution of the Univ. of Georgia Agr. Exp. Sta., College Station, Athens, Georgia 30601.

² Formerly graduate research assistant, Agronomy Dep., Univ. of Georgia, presently post doctoral fellow, Dep. of Land Res. Sci., Univ. of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, and Professor of Agronomy, Univ. of Georgia, Athens, respectively.

Received for publication February 25, 1972.