Nutrient content in wheat grain and straw using sludge and compost from a wastewater treatment plant as a fertiliser

The present study aimed: (i) to evaluate the response of nutrient uptake after applying 15 ha^-1 of sewage sludge, compost and a commercial fertiliser to soil in the grain and straw of winter wheat (Triticum turgidum L. cv. Vitron) and (ii) to investigate the composition of the same parameters in the original soil and compare them with soil after applying fertiliser treatments. A field-scale experiment established the agronomic performance of air-dried sewage sludge and composted sludge for winter wheat.

Sewage sludge promoted a higher grain Zn content and yield than compost or the commercial fertiliser. N, P and Zn were higher after harvests in soils where sludge or compost was applied, showing significant differences compared to those with a commercial fertiliser. When sludge or compost was used as an organic amendment, no significant differences were observed in pH or electrical conductivity in soils, as well as nutrient absorption for crop.

Because no nutritional imbalances were observed in either grain or straw of durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. cv. Vitron), sewage sludge from the Alcázar de San Juan wastewater treatment plant has an aptitude for agricultural use and could be recommended as an alternative to the standard commercial fertilisation used in the study area. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.