Effect of Municipal Solid Waste Compost and Farmyard Manure Application on Heavy‐Metal Uptake in Wheat

Abstract

The risks related to municipal solid waste compost application in comparison to farmyard manure and mineral fertilizers on durum wheat were investigated on a short‐term experiment. Compost was applied at 40 t ha−1 and 80 t ha−1 with or without chemical fertilizers. Analogously, farmyard manure was applied at 40 t ha−1. Both compost and farmyard manure improved plant growth and nutrient uptake. However, compost amendment showed more effectiveness, especially at 80 t ha−1. Alternatively, this dose of compost involved an increase of plant copper, cadmium, and zinc concentrations in plant tissues. Metal accumulation did not thwart the enhancement of wheat yield. Furthermore, grain translocation factor reached 1 only in the case of copper; however, it showed a significant decrease following compost application (ranged between 0.57 and 0.69). Bioconcentration factor showed a significant decrease with municipal solid waste compost supply, constituting an internal detoxification mechanism.