Effect of fertilization with farmyard manure, municipal sewage sludge and compost from biodegradable waste on yield and mineral composition of spring wheat grain

Abstract

Both deficiency and excess of mineral components in cereal grain may impair its biological value, later interfering with the metabolic processes occurring in animal and human organisms. Potential accumulation of undesirable components in biomass should be taken into consideration since such compounds occur in large amounts in waste material. Therefore, it is necessary to assess the effect of waste-based fertilizers on both the amount of generated biomass and its chemical composition. The present investigations were conducted to determine the effect of fertilization with farmyard manure, municipal sewage sludge and compost from biodegradable materials on the yield and mineral composition of spring wheat grain. The field investigations ran for three years. Nitrogen in wheat grain was assessed using Kjeldahl’s method, phosphorus by colorimetry, sulphur, copper, manganese and zinc by the ICP-AES method, and potassium, magnesium and sodium by flame photogrammetry. In the first year, organic fertilizers were observed to be less stimulating to yield formation than mineral fertilizers. Although the uptake of N, P and K from the applied organic fertilizers was impeded, their deficiency in wheat grain was preventable by balancing doses of these components. Despite different amounts of magnesium, sodium and sulphur applied to the soil with the fertilizers, the concentrations of these elements in grain were considerably stable in the years of the investigations. Copper and manganese concentrations in wheat grain were deficient, which significantly depressed grain fodder value and might indirectly determine the crop yield.