scholarly journals Land Application of Sewage Sludge: Physiological and Biochemical Response of the Rio Grande Tomato

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 01-09
Author(s):  
Nabil Charchar ◽  
Ali Elafri ◽  
Redwane Rais ◽  
Halassi Ismahen

Treated wastewater produces sewage sludge as a by-product that may have beneficial implications on agricultural practices. The effects of sludge amendments on growth, morphological and biochemical characteristics of the agro-industrial Tomato cultivar Rio Grande were observed. A pot culture experiment was carried out during 4 months (16 February 2019 to 18 June 2019), at an experimental green house in the locality of Salah Soufi, Guelma, north-eastern Algeria. There were significant differences between soil and sewage sludge samples. Total nitrogen (20.58 mg/kg) was more available in sewage sludge than in soil (N = 2.09 ± 0.3 mg/kg). In contrast, sludge contained less phosphorus and organic matter than soil. The observation of the morphological characteristics of the plants showed significant variations between the treatments. The germination rates for treated soils decreased significantly to reach 50%, compared to the control. Growth patterns (dry and fresh weight of leaves and roots) changed significantly (P <0.05) between the treatments. Chlorophyll contents of plants in treated soils were more than twice as high as those of the control, but started decreasing at 75% amendment rates.

Insects ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 715
Author(s):  
Gabriela Esparza-Diaz ◽  
Thiago Marconi ◽  
Carlos A. Avila ◽  
Raul T. Villanueva

The Rio Grande Valley is one of the most productive agricultural areas in the U.S and is located in the southernmost part of Texas. In October 2013, we detected an exotic plant bug, Nesidiocoris tenuis Reuter (Hemiptera: Miridae: Bryocorinae) occurring in the region. Nesidiocoris tenuis has zoophytophagous habits; however, in the absence of insect prey, it feeds on its plant hosts. After its morphological and genetic identification, this study monitored the population of N. tenuis in its introduction phase in commercial fields and corroborated its establishment in research fields for three years. Populations of N. tenuis were high during the fall and low during winter. This study found that N. tenuis populations were higher in tomato fields as compared to adjacent pepper, okra, and squash fields, indicating its host preferences during the introduction phase. Recurrent population growth patterns suggest that N. tenuis was established in Rio Grande Valley with permanent populations in tomato fields. In addition, N. tenuis populations were affected by tomato cultivar selection and by plastic mulch color. The presence of N. tenuis could establish a new trophic insect relationship for vegetable production. However, it is unknown if the presence of N. tenuis may help to control pests of economic importance, such as whiteflies in cotton, or become a pest on sesame, an emerging crop.


2001 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 205-207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maureen Reilly

There is currently a public debate about whether health, agricultural and environmental authorities should continue to allow sewage sludge to be spread on farmland. Some of the concern in the debate is about the pathogen content of sewage sludge. This concern was heightened by the tragedy at Walkerton whereEschericha coli0157:H7 and other pathogens contaminated the drinking water supply of this Ontario town. The Canadian public were reminded how vulnerable they can be to disease when agricultural practices ajoin population centres without adequate health and environmental controls.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge Domínguez ◽  
Manuel Aira ◽  
Keith A. Crandall ◽  
Marcos Pérez-Losada

AbstractWastewater treatment plants produce hundreds of million tons of sewage sludge every year all over the world. Vermicomposting is well established worldwide and has been successful at processing sewage sludge, which can contribute to alleviate the severe environmental problems caused by its disposal. Here, we utilized 16S and ITS rRNA high-throughput sequencing to characterize bacterial and fungal community composition and structure during the gut- and cast-associated processes (GAP and CAP, respectively) of vermicomposting of sewage sludge. Bacterial and fungal communities of earthworm casts were mainly composed of microbial taxa not found in the sewage sludge; thus most of the bacterial (96%) and fungal (91%) taxa in the sewage sludge were eliminated during vermicomposting, mainly through the GAP. Upon completion of GAP and during CAP, modified microbial communities undergo a succession process leading to more diverse microbiotas than those found in sewage sludge. Consequently, bacterial and fungal community composition changed significantly during vermicomposting. Vermicomposting of sewage resulted in a stable and rich microbial community with potential biostimulant properties that may aid plant growth. Our results support the use of vermicompost derived from sewage sludge for sustainable agricultural practices, if heavy metals or other pollutants are under legislation limits or adequately treated.


2007 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1811-1823 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Cau ◽  
C. Paniconi

Abstract. Quantifying the impact of land use on water supply and quality is a primary focus of environmental management. In this work we apply a semidistributed hydrological model (SWAT) to predict the impact of different land management practices on water and agricultural chemical yield over a long period of time for a study site situated in the Arborea region of central Sardinia, Italy. The physical processes associated with water movement, crop growth, and nutrient cycling are directly modeled by SWAT. The model simulations are used to identify indicators that reflect critical processes related to the integrity and sustainability of the ecosystem. Specifically we focus on stream quality and quantity indicators associated with anthropogenic and natural sources of pollution. A multicriteria decision support system is then used to develop the analysis matrix where water quality and quantity indicators for the rivers, lagoons, and soil are combined with socio-economic variables. The DSS is used to assess four options involving alternative watersheds designated for intensive agriculture and dairy farming and the use or not of treated wastewater for irrigation. Our analysis suggests that of the four options, the most widely acceptable consists in the transfer of intensive agricultural practices to the larger watershed, which is less vulnerable, in tandem with wastewater reuse, which rates highly due to water scarcity in this region of the Mediterranean. More generally, the work demonstrates how both qualitative and quantitative methods and information can assist decision making in complex settings.


2013 ◽  
Vol 671-674 ◽  
pp. 2736-2741
Author(s):  
Yin An Ming ◽  
Tao Tao

To reuse municipal sewage sludge safely, experiment was carried out on grapefruit trees fertilized with composted sludge from Shiweitou Sewage Treatment Plant in Xiamen City of China, and a method was introduced of how to assess the environmental quality of grapefruit trees soil fertilized with sludge by Set Pair Analysis (SPA) model. The results showed that the soil in the surface layer (0-15cm) and the deeper layer (15-30cm) was less clean, and the environment of soil was not polluted. Thus it was feasible to use sludge as fruit fertilizer. The maximum service life of sludge for continuous land application was estimated by taking Cd as the limiting factor, which would provide scientific guide and technical support for safe land application of sludge.


Water SA ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
G Gascó ◽  
MC Lobo ◽  
F Guerrero

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document