Effect of sludge resulting from biocoagulation-flocculation process on Abelmoschus esculentus L. growth

Abstract

The current study was performed to determine the effect of sludge resulting from biocoagulation-flocculation process on okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) growth. The effectiveness of the resultant sludge collected after coagulation-flocculation of aquaculture effluent using biocoagulant-flocculant was compared with garden soil (nutrient rich medium) and also with sand (nutrient deficiency medium). The growth of plants in terms of physical observation and also the agronomic parameters (the number of leaves and the height of plants) was monitored for 8 weeks. At the end of the exposure period, there is no significant difference in terms of the number of leaves and also the height of plants between plants in garden soil and plants in pots with the resultant sludge. In contrast, the agronomic parameters for plants in pot with sludge were significantly higher than plants in pot with sand only. As for the relative growth rate (RGR) of plants, plants in pots with sludge were the highest (3.84 g/week) compared to garden soil (3.52 g/week) and sand only (0.25 g/week). It can be concluded that sludge generated from the coagulation-flocculation process of aquaculture effluent using natural resources as coagulant-flocculant agent has given positive impact on the growth of okra plants and is potentially utilized as biofertilizer for plants.