Abstract
Abstract The objective of this study was to determine the effects of subsurfacely injected sludge on growth and composition of corn (Zea mays L.) silage. Sewage sludge from a textile mill which produces sanitary products was collected in lagoons and injected into bands 30 cm deep in a well‐drained loam in western Massachusetts. Injection rates were 0, 6.8, 13.6, and 25.6 metric tons of dry material per hectare. The sludge was 3% solids and contained 10 ppm each of Cd, Ni and Pb, 5 ppm of Hg, 70 ppm of Cr, 80 ppm of Zn, and 160 ppm of Cu. Inorganic and organic N composed 0.52% and 5.80%, respectively, while P and K were 0.89% and 0.52%, respectively, of the dry weight of the sludge. Seedling emergence was not hindered, and silage yields were increased by sludge application. No trace element increased in plant tissue with sludge fertilization. Nitrate concentrations increased in the plants with sludge fertilization but only in the roots and stems.
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