Abstract
The effects on soil and cotton quality of organic wastes from medicinal and aromatic plant factories were investigated with regard to the risks of boron and heavy metal pollution. Oily cumin, oregano, oilless oregano wastes, and mineral fertilizers were applied to cotton in two field experiments performed in the years 2003 and 2006. The Pb content of the soil differed significantly in the 2003 experiment and oregano wastes had significantly decreasing effect. Boron of soil to which oily cumin wastes had been applied reached a toxic limit value in 2006. Boron in soil adversely affected long fibres; B in leaves had a positive effect on the fineness of fibres in 2006. Soil Ni adversely affected plant height in 2006 and seed cotton yield in 2003. Leaf Ni had an adverse effect on fibre elasticity in 2006. Soil Co increased ginning out-turn and Cr decreased the fibre fineness of cotton in 2003.
Highlights
If production residues were used in agriculture, they would no longer be called wastes but would become economically valuable soil amendments by balancing soil organic matter and increasing yield
Wastes of agroindustrial origin are expected to be high in organic matter and plant nutrients and low in toxic elements
No significant differences in CaCO3 percentages were observed between the applications
Summary
If production residues were used in agriculture, they would no longer be called wastes but would become economically valuable soil amendments by balancing soil organic matter and increasing yield. Wastes of agroindustrial origin are expected to be high in organic matter and plant nutrients and low in toxic elements These toxic elements can cause pollution in soil and ground water and have an inhibiting effect on the growth of plants. Levy and Taylor [1] reported inhibited seedling emergence with municipal solid waste and deformities in radish and cress seedlings with pulp mill solids According to this author, both toxic constituents and nutrient imbalances could be held responsible for the growth inhibiting effects of these amendments. Traulsen et al [2] reported that 50 t ha−1 of biological waste compost induced no significant increase of the total content of nutrients and heavy metals in soil and plants. Secer et al [4] investigated the pollution risk with boron and various heavy metals for soil and potato plants when agroindustrial wastes were used for plant nutrition
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