Alternative technology of safflower cultivation by sewage sludge use as a fertilizer-ameliorant

Federal Scientific Centre of Agroecology, Complex Melioration and Protective Afforestation of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 97 Universitetskij Avenue, 400062 Volgograd, Russian Federation

^* Corresponding author: asmezhevova@mail

Abstract

The effect of sewage sludge as a fertilizer-ameliorant in the safflower cultivation was studied. Sewage sludge from Volzhskij wastewater treatment plants prepurified by enzyme-cavitation method was used as a fertilizer-ameliorant in the safflower cultivation. It was found that prepurified sewage sludge is environmentally friendly and has a high fertilizing value. The amino acid composition of safflower seeds was studied. The obtained data indicate that sewage sludge introduction made it possible to significantly increase the safflower nutritional value and the soil microbiological activity. It was found that the greatest increase in the safflower crop yields was observed in the case of sewage sludge introduction at a dose of 10 t/ha with chisel tillage. It can be stated that the technology of safflower cultivation proposed by us, including the application of sewage sludge as a fertilizer-ameliorant in combination with the chisel tillage, significantly affects its productivity. The increase in safflower crop yields over the years of the studies was 8.4-15.3%. In general, it can be concluded that sewage sludge has a complex effect on the soil: improves its water-physical, agrochemical and physico-chemical properties, increases the activity of soil biota and the content of organic matter – one of the main indicators of soil fertility.