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Municipal sludge: an effective soil supplement for improving plant growth

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Abstract

Studies were conducted to evaluate the effect of municipal sludge amendment in soil on the growth of crop plants. Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) var. Pusa Hybrid 2 and wheat (Triticum aestivum) var. PBW 343 plants were raised in pots containing soil supplemented with different proportions (~10, 20, 30 %) of sludge. Amendment of sludge in soil resulted in enrichment of nutrients such as phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium. Increased nutrient availability promoted growth and productivity in plants. The growth and productivity of the plants raised in sludge supplemented soil was comparable to those raised in manure and compost supplemented soil. The growth was significantly higher in all the soil amendments in comparison to control. The present findings suggested that municipal sludge can serve as a soil supplement.

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Acknowledgments

The financial assistance from University Grants Commission (UGC) is gratefully acknowledged. The valuable guidance and support of mentor Profesor M.V. Rajam is gratefully acknowledged.

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  1. Department of Genetics, University of Delhi South Campus, New Delhi, 110021, India

    B. Dhir

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  1. B. Dhir
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Correspondence to B. Dhir.

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Dhir, B. Municipal sludge: an effective soil supplement for improving plant growth. Ind J Plant Physiol. 21, 213–218 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40502-016-0214-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40502-016-0214-7

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