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Plant Growth Inhibition by Soluble Salts in Sewage Sludge‐Amended Mine Spoils
Author(s) -
Rodgers Cassandra S.,
Anderson Roger C.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
journal of environmental quality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1537-2537
pISSN - 0047-2425
DOI - 10.2134/jeq1995.00472425002400040012x
Subject(s) - amendment , panicum virgatum , sewage sludge , biomass (ecology) , nutrient , fertilizer , agronomy , activated sludge , chemistry , plant growth , salt (chemistry) , environmental science , sewage treatment , environmental engineering , biology , bioenergy , microbiology and biotechnology , biofuel , organic chemistry , political science , law
The growth response of prairie switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum L.) was compared in strip mine spoil amended with various levels of anaerobically digested waste‐activated sewage sludge (0, 56, 111, 222, or 333 dry Mg ha −1 ) and commercial fertilizer, pure sludge, and glasshouse soil. Plants were grown in a growth chamber and substrates were maintained at field capacity during the study. Soluble salt concentrations of the substrates increased linearly as a function of sludge amendment and were within the range known to inhibit the growth of many plant species at the high levels of sludge application. There was, however, a linear response of biomass production to increasing levels of sludge amendment. Maintaining substrates at field capacity apparently prevented the high concentration of soluble salts from inhibiting plant growth. The increased biomass yield associated with sludge application was likely due to the increased availability of inorganic nutrients associated with sludge amendment.