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A Comparative Study of Bermudagrass Grown on Soils Amended with Aerobic or Anaerobically Digested Sludge¹

ABSTRACT

A greenhouse pot experiment was conducted in which bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylum (L.) Pers.] was grown on Holtville silty clay and San Emigdio fine sandy loam soils, which were amended with aerobically (AEDS) and anaerobically (ANDS) digesed sludges to supply N at 600, 900, and 1200 kg ha^–1. Ammonium sulfate [(NH₄)₂SO₄] was applied to other pots at rates to supply N at 300 and 600 kg ha^–1. A second 600 kg N treatment as (NH₄)₂SO₄ was applied in three split applications. All (NH₄)₂SO₄ treatments received 60 kg of P as monocalcium phosphate (MCP). Cumulative yields of bermudagrass grown on aerobic sludge treatments were greater than those yields on anaerobic sludge treatments for both soils. Patterns of plant yields indicate that a large initial release of plant-available N occurred in aerobic sludge treatments relative to anaerobic treatments. Though not statistically significant, more N was accumulated by plants grown on aerobic than on anaerobic sludge-amended soils. On both soils, aerobic sludge-P was more plant-available than anaerobic sludge-P. Calculated recoveries of sludge-applied N and P showed little variation due to soil type at equal rates of sludge application. For both soils, 1 Mg of aerobic sludge or anaerobic sludge produced bermudagrass yields equivalent to those resulting from the application of 24–37 kg (NH₄)₂SO₄-N and 7–10 kg (NH₄)₂SO₄-N, respectively. Tissue concentrations of Cd were below 9 x 10^–4 mmol kg^–1 for all treatments, and were not considered to be excessive.

Key Words: nitrogen • phosphorus • organic fertilizer

¹ Contribution from the Dep. of Soil & Environmental Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521. Work funded by California Water Resources Center, Davis, Calif., Grant UCAL-W-543.

² Graduate Research Assistant and Assistant Professor, respectively, University of California-Riverside.

Received for publication November 20, 1982.