ABSTRACT The combined incorporation of sewage sludge (SS) and oat straw (OS) to the soil can increase straw carbon mineralization and microbial nitrogen immobilization. This hypothesis was tested in two laboratory experiments, in which SS was incorporated in the soil with and without OS. One treatment in which only straw was incorporated and a control with only soil were also evaluated. The release of CO2 and mineral N in the soil after organic material incorporation was evaluated for 110 days. […]

The recovery of degraded areas is a slow process and requires the addition of organic residues to improve the soil physical properties. It is known that sewage sludge has a high content of organic matter and nutrients, acting as soil conditioner and supplying nutrients to soil and plants. In a degraded Entisol (typic Quartzipsamment) area, on the Fazenda Entre Rios of the company Suzano Bahia Sul Pulp and Paper, in Itatinga-SP, native Atlantic Forest species were planted. The area was […]

The application of sewage sludge is a concern because it may affect the quality of organic matter and microbiological and biochemical soil properties. The effects of surface application of sewage sludge to an agricultural soil (at 18 and 36 t ha-1 dry basis) were assessed in one maize (Zea mays L.) growing season. The study evaluated microbial biomass, basal respiration and selected enzymatic activities (catalase, urease, acid and alkaline phosphatase, and β-glucosidase) 230 days after sewage sludge application and infrared […]

The residue of the process of parboiling rice contains high amounts of elements such as nitrogen, phosphorus and others which, once incorporated into the soil, could serve as a source of nutrients. Accordingly, the present study evaluated some properties of an Ultisol, the dry matter production and nutritional status of corn grown after applying an anaerobic sludge originated from the process of parboiling rice. The experiment was conducted in 4 kg pots filled with soil, in four replications. The following […]

The presence of heavy metals in sewage sludge is one of the greatest restrictions to its application in agricultural areas. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of application rates of sewage sludge of 11 consecutive years on the distribution of Ba, Cd, Cr and Pb in three layers (0-10, 10-20 and 20-40 cm) of a Typic Hapludox soil, as well as to quantify these metals in maize leaf and kernels. The experiment was conducted under field conditions, using a randomized […]

A by-product of Wastewater Treatment Stations is sewage sludge. By treatment and processing, the sludge is made suitable for rational and environmentally safe use in agriculture. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of different doses of limed sewage sludge (50 %) on clay dispersion in soil samples with different textures (clayey and medium). The study was conducted with soil samples collected from native forest, on a Red Latosol (Brazilian classification: Latossolo Vermelho distroférrico) loamy soil in Londrina […]

The use of organic residues has been shown to be effective for the revegetation of mined areas. However, data on the quality of mine spoils treated with organic residues are rather scarce. This study aimed to evaluate the spoil quality of a mined area in the Brazilian Federal District treated with 250 Mg ha-1 of domestic sewage sludge and covered with herbs grown from seeds. The soil attributes used for the evaluation were bulk density, total porosity, available water capacity, soil resistance […]

The use of sewage sludge (SS) in agricultural soils is one of the most viable forms of recycling this residue. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of SS application on castor bean yield and nutrition in a clayey dystrophic Ultisol following a rotation of sugarcane. The treatments tested were four sewage-sludge rates (0, 5, 10, and 20 t ha-1, dry matter) calculated to supply plants with N at amounts of 0, 37.5 kg ha-1, 75 kg […]

The amendment of agricultural and forest soils with biosolids from sewage treatment plants (STPs) is an alternative to recycle these organic residues. However, biosolids from STPs may contain metals and/or xenobiotics that can affect soil microorganisms. In this study, the impacts of biosolids from the STPs of Barueri and Franca (São Paulo, Brazil), containing high and low metal concentration, respectively, on the microbiota of a Nitisol (clayey) and a Dystric Arenosol (sandy) were determined in microcosm. Immediately after biosolids application […]

Among the possibilities of final disposal of sewage sludge, agricultural recycling has become one of the most widely used in several developed countries, and is considered the most appropriate in technical, economical and environmental terms. This study aimed at evaluating the sewage sludge residual effect on off-season corn yield on an Eutroferric Red Latossol (Oxisol). The field experiment was in a randomized block design with three replications, with treatments consisting of increasing doses of sewage sludge (0, 6, 12, 24 […]