Valorization of Cheese Whey as A Fertilizer: Effects on Maize Germination and Growth in Clay Loam and Calcareous Soil | ||
| Egyptian Journal of Soil Science | ||
| Article 4, Volume 63, Issue 4, December 2023, Pages 489-502 PDF (798.04 K) | ||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/ejss.2023.222087.1620 | ||
| Authors | ||
| Elsayed Abdelraof; Ibrahim N. Nassar; Ibrahim Gomaa; Emad Aboukila* | ||
| Department of Natural Resources and Agricultural Engineering, College of Agriculture, Damanhour University, | ||
| Abstract | ||
| Two pot experiments were conducted to valorize cheese whey functions in improving the chemical characteristics of a non-calcareous clay loam soil and a calcareous one (loamy sand). It also evaluates the influences of the fermented whey on maize seed germination and growth. Four different cheese whey levels: 0.0, 0.5, 0.75, and 1% on mass base were mixed with 12 kg soil then packed in plastic pots. The NPK recommended doses of maize were also considered as a reference treatment as well. The soil mixtures were incubated aerobically at soil field capacity for a month. Results revealed that as the whey level increased soil EC, organic matter, and macronutrient contents in soil while decreased soil pH decreased versus either to 0.0% whey or NPK treatments. In the second experiment, the germination index (GI) and final germination percentage (FGP) of wheat did not vary significantly among treatments; yet plant growth traits were boosted as the cheese whey level increased and also for the application of NPK compared to the 0.0 % whey level for both soil types. Ear weight was higher in the clay loam soil than in the calcareous one. For leaf numbers and shoot height as a function of time, there was a good agreement between predicted using polynomial 1st degree ( r2 ranged from 0.95 to 0.99). The response rates of both soil traits for leaf numbers and shoot height increased with increasing the whey level. The 1.0 % whey level gave high biomass weight in comparison to the NPK. It is concluded that 1.0% whey level could substitute the chemical fertilizers for growing maize for environmental and economic concerns. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| cheese whey; maize; germination; growth; clay loam soil; calcareous soil | ||
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