THE EFFECTS OF SEWAGE SLUDGE APPLICATION ON GRAIN YIELD AND NUTRIENT STATUS OF GRAIN IN TRITICALE UNDER RAINFED CONDITIONS

Eight treatments were used to evaluate the effects of sewage sludge and mineral fertilizer on grain yield and some grain yield componnets, plant nutrient contents and heavy metal concentrations in triticale grain (cv Mikham 2001). The study was conducted using a completely randomized design with 3 replicates in dry conditions in Van, in the East Anatolia region of Turkey in winter cereal cropping season of 2009-2010. Sewage sludge was added to the soil 6 different rates of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 T ha(-1) and a single dose of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers like as standard dose (80 kg N ha(-1)+69 kg P ha(-1)). Moreover, control plot was not added any mineral fertilizer or sewage sludge. According to study results, the highest sewage sludge rate resulted in 99 % higher grain yield compared to control. Moreover the highest sewage sludge rate were obtained 20 % more grain yield than mineral fertilizer. The obtained results show that the grain triticale took distinctly more macroelements under the influence of sewage sludge in comparison with the control. Additionally grain mineral concentrations such as N, P, Mg, Zn, Fe were significantly affected with increasing of sewage sludge rates. In contrast, other nutrients (K, Mn, Al, Ni, Cu, Cd, Pb, Cr) was not affected significantly the increasing of sewage sludge rates. It is concluded that, 30 T ha(-1) sewage sludge rate could be substitute for commercial fertilizer for having optimum plant growth of triticale in marginal lands.