CYTOGENETIC EFFECT AND HEAVY METALS CONTENT IN MAIZE AS AFFECTED BY SEWAGE SLUDGE APPLICATION | ||
| Journal of Soil Sciences and Agricultural Engineering | ||
| Article 12, Volume 26, Issue 11, November 2001, Pages 7453-7467 PDF (556.89 K) | ||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/jssae.2001.257012 | ||
| Authors | ||
| Fatma K. Sherif1; Amal W. Amin2 | ||
| 1Soil and Water Science Dept. Faculty of Agriculture. Alexandria University. | ||
| 2Botany Dept. Faculty of Science. Alexandria University. | ||
| Abstract | ||
| Although the application of sewage sludge on agricultural land is beneficial to crops as a source of nutrients such as N and P, there is considerable concern for the amounts of heavy metals added as constituents of sludge. An aerobically digested sewage sludge-obtained from Alexandria General Organization of Sanitary Drainage (AGOSD) was applied to corn grown on calcareous lacustrine soil at different rates (0, 10, 20, 30, and 40 ton fed.-1). Treatment with NH4NO3 supplying the recommended dose was included for comparison. Immature young male tassels at the booting stage were collected to examine various chromosomal irregularities. Plant height and chlorophyll content in leaves were determined at different growth stages. At maturity ten quantitative characters were recorded: number of ears per plant, ear length, ear weight, cob weight, number and weight of kernels per ear, kernel index, kernel yield per plant, volume of 100 kernels, and kernel density. Soil was analyzed before cultivation and after harvesting for macro, micronutrients and heavy metals. Corn grain was analyzed for Pb, Cd, Ni, and Cr. Increasing sludge rates increased significantly initial growth, cob weight, total chlorophyll, chlorophyll a and b in leaves, lead and nickel in kernels and total aberrant mother cells, recording many kinds of aberrations, while no significant differences were observed for the other characters. The concentrations of Pb, Cd, Ni, and Cr in corn grain due to sludge application were generally higher than the normal concentration values. | ||
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