Effect of Urban Sewage and Nitrogen Fertilizer on Absorption of Mineral Nutrient in Sweet Corn

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, Faculty of Agriculture, Yasouj University, Yasouj, Iran

Abstract

This study was carried out in Yasouj research station to examine the effects of urban sewage and nitrogen on absorption of mineral nutrients in sweet corn, in 2009. Experimental factors consisted of five irrigation treatments including: (I1)common irrigation water from emergence (SG=10) to milk stage (SG=82), (I2)from SG=10 to tasseling (SG=50) with sewage effluent and from SG=50 to SG=82 with common irrigation water, (I3)from SG=10 to SG=50 with common irrigation water and from SG=50 to SG=82 with sewage effluent, (I4) alternate irrigation with common irrigation water and sewage effluent till stage (SG=82), and (I5)sewage effluent till stage (SG=82); and 3 nitrogen rates (N0=0, N80= 80 and N160=160 kg N ha-1). The treatments were laid in a split plot in a completely randomized block design with three replications. Results indicated that the effect of irrigation on macro and microelements concentrations was significant in forage and seed sweet corn. Maximum mineral nutrient absorption was in I5 and I4 while the minimum mineral nutrient absorption was in treatment I1.The effect of nitrogen fertilizer was significant on absorption of N, P, Fe, and Mn elements in forage and N in the seed. Maximum concentrations of those elements were in N80 and the minimum concentration was in N0. Interaction of irrigation and nitrogen fertilizer on N absorption of seed was significant. Maximum amount of N absorption of seed was in treatment I5N160  and amounted to 2.17 percent, while the was in treatment I1N0 and equaled  1.2 percent. The results indicated that application of sewage effluent reduced nitrogen fertilizer application rate in forage of sweet corn. Generally, applying urban sewage for food crops is not recommendable and has been warned in this field.

Keywords