Use of Treated Sludge (KALA Fertilizer) to Improve Water Productivity

Ahmed Al-Busaidi

Department of Soils, Water and Agricultural Engineering,College of Agricultural & Marine Sciences, Sultan Qaboos

University, Omane-mail: ahmed99@squ.edu.om

Sectoral Water Use in the Sultanate

7%

0.6%

2.4%

90%

Total Demand = 1657 MCM/Yr

Domestic

Industrial

Agricultural

Municipal

(1491 MCM/Yr)

(117 MCM/Yr)

(9 MCM/Yr)

(40 MCM/Yr)

Water Balance in the Sultanate (MCM/Yr)

Supply

Demand

Deficit

1267390

1657

Soil Suitability of the Sultanate

S1 - most suitableS2 - marginally suitableNS - non-suitable

92.93%

2.52% 4.55%

Total area = 31,426,466 ha

(1,430,000 ha)

(29,204,610 ha)

(792,000 ha)

Water Conservation

Without treatment

With treatment

Salt AccumulationSalt in Salt out

Organic (Kala) Fertilizer

High CEC

Save water + improve the soil = good and sustainable growth

No Trt. With Trt.

Processing Treated Sludge to Produce KALA Fertilizer

Objectives

Conduct research 1. To assess the performance of the tested crops

under different fertilizers. 2. To determine the changes in physicochemical

properties of the soil treated by different fertilizers.

3. To monitor characteristics and yield components of crops grown and treated by different fertilizers.

Objectives3. To quantify water productivity and water saving potential of Kala compost and its ability to improve water use efficiency. 4. To understand the impact of Kala compost on plant growth and heavy metal accumulation. 5. To evaluate the impact of Kala compost to soil microorganisms and crop diseases. 6. To explore the economic feasibility of reducing water supply and inorganic fertilizers.

To Evaluate and Assess KALA Fertilizer Application in Agriculture

Methodology 8*17m

Filed layoutNew field with sand addition

Kala application: 3Kg/m2NPK:

Lab work: Chemical test

Microbial Analysis Report تقرير التحليل الميكروبيولوجي للعينات

للحدود الميكروبيولوجيا 1089/2000مطابقة للمواصفة القياسية العمانية رقم المالحظات: : تعتبر العينة

للسلع والمواد الغذائية الجزء األول يعتمد،،،

توقيع المحلل: ك . م قيس بن سليمان الكشري مدير إدارة الشؤون الصحية

:Reference no 3939 رقم العينة:

:Submitted by الجهة المرسلة: جامعة السلطان قابوس

:Date received 23/3/2013 تاريخ اإلرسال:

:Type of sample 1 بطاطس نوع العينة:

:Trade mark -االسم التجاري:

:.Country of manuf بلد المنشأ:

:Date of manuf.: Expir تاريخ اإلنتاج: - تاريخ اإلنتهاء : -

:Number of samples 1عدد العينات:

:Date of report 27/3/2013تاريخ التقرير:

:Remarks مالحظات أخرى:

RESULTS TYPE OF TEST

- Total aerobic plate count

- Coliform bacteria

Nil E. coli

- Staphylococcus aureus

Nil Salmonella spp.

- Yeast & mould

- Others

Lab work: Biological test

0

10

20

30

40

50

Control NPK NPK KALA KALA Pure Kala

Org

anic

Mat

ter (

%)

Treatment

Soil samples

Treatment g/cm3

Kala 1.81

NPK 2.07

Soil bulk density

Soil samples

0.008

1.1641.285

1.629

2.593

00.5

11.5

22.5

3

Control NPK MIX KALA P. Kala

Soil

Nitr

ogen

(%)

Treatment

02468

1012

NPK KALA MIX

Tota

l Car

bon

(%l)

Treatment

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

NPK15 NPK30 MIX15 MIX30 KALA15 KALA30 Control Kala 1:5 Pure Kala

Soil

EC &

pH

Treatment

EC(dS/m) pH

Soil electrical conductivity and pH at the beginning of the study

End of the study

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

NPK15 NPK30 NPK45 MIX15 MIX30 MIX45 KALA15 KALA30 KALA45

Soil

Salin

ity (d

S/m

)

Treatment

Soil Salinity

Plant samples

00.20.40.60.811.21.41.6

02468

1012141618

NPK MIX KALA

Cuc

umbe

r wei

ght

(Kg/

plan

t)

Num

ber o

f fru

its/p

lant

Treatment

No. of Fruits/plant

Weight (Kg)/plant

00.20.40.60.8

11.21.4

NPK MIX KALA

Tom

ato

wei

ght

(Kg/

plan

t)

Treatment

Average production for fruit plants (cucumber and tomato)

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

NPK MIX KALA

Lettu

ce w

eigh

t (K

g)

Treatment

00.5

11.5

22.5

33.5

44.5

NPK MIX KALA

Cab

bage

wei

ght (

Kg)

Treatment

Average production for leaf plants (lettuce and cabbage)

00.5

11.5

22.5

33.5

44.5

5

NPK MIX KALA

Car

rot w

eigh

t (K

g)

Treatment

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

NPK MIX KALA

Pota

to w

eigh

t (K

g)

Treatment

Average production for root plants (carrot and potato)

Cucumber Tomato Lettuce Cabbage Carrot Potato

NPK 200.74

c

1122.89

a

529.33

c

1421.21

a

109.83

c

1872.02

c

MIX 830.24

a

1269.27

a

1100.60

a

1808.64

a

729.08

a

4496.77

a

KALA 759.04

a

1402.64

a

1322.43

a

1334.73

a

601.71

a

3990.02

a

Statistical analysis for plant production under different treatments

Metal concentrations at soil samples (ICP data)

Element

At the beginning of the

study

At the end of the study

Sodium (Na) S S

Calcium (Ca) S N

Magnesium (Mg) S S

Potassium (K) S N

Phosphorus (P) S N

Arsenic (As) N N

Beryllium (Be) N N

Cadmium (Cd) N S

Cobalt (Co) S N

Chromium (Cr) N N

Copper (Cu) S S

Iron (Fe) S S

Lithium (Li) N N

Manganese (Mn) N S

Molybdenum (Mo) S N

Nickel (Ni) S N

Lead (Pb) N S

Antimony (Sb) S N

Strontium (Sr) N N

Titanium (Ti) N S

Vanadium (V) S N

Zinc (Zn) N N

Thallium (Tl) N N

Silicon (Si) S S

Boron (B) S S

NO of Significance14 10

Heavy metals concentrations in the soil at the beginning of the study

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

As Be Cd Co Cr Cu Fe Li Mn Mo Ni Pb Sb Ti V Zn Tl Si B

Con

c. (m

g/l)

Element

C NPK 15 NPK 30 KALA 15 KALA 30

Heavy metals concentrations in the soil at the end of the study

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

As Be Cd Co Cr Cu Fe Li Mn Mo Ni Pb Sb Ti V Zn Tl Si B

Con

c. (m

g/l)

Element

NPK15 NPK30 NPK45 KALA15 KALA30 KALA45

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

Chloride Nitrite Phosphate Total alkalinity

Con

c. (m

g/l)

Element

NPK15 Kala15

Soil anions at the beginning of the study

Trt.Phosphate (ppm/5ml)

NPK15 0.13

Kala15 0.31

Soil anions at the end of the study

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

Chloride Nitrite Phosphate Total alkalinity

Con

c. (m

g/l)

Element

NPK15 NPK30 NPK45 Kala15 Kala30 Kala45

Trt.Phosphate (ppm/5ml)

NPK15 0.28NPK30 0.54NPK45 0.23Kala15 1.75Kala30 0.2Kala45 0.2

Metal concentrations at plant samples (ICP data)

ElementTomato Cucumber Cabbage Lettuce Carrot Potato

Sodium (Na) N S N N S N

Calcium (Ca) S N N N S N

Magnesium (Mg) N N N N S S

Potassium (K) S N N S S S

Phosphorus (P) N S S N S S

Arsenic (As) S N N S N N

Beryllium (Be) N N N N N N

Cadmium (Cd) N N S S N S

Cobalt (Co) N N N N S S

Chromium (Cr) N N N N N S

Copper (Cu) N N S N S S

Iron (Fe) N N S N N N

Lithium (Li) N N N N N S

Manganese (Mn) N N N N S S

Molybdenum (Mo) N S N N N N

Nickel (Ni) N N N N S N

Lead (Pb) N N N S S N

Antimony (Sb) N S N N N S

Strontium (Sr) S N N N S S

Titanium (Ti) N N N N N N

Vanadium (V) N N S N S S

Zinc (Zn) N S S S S S

Thallium (Tl) S N N S N N

Silicon (Si) N S S S S S

Boron (B) N S N S S N

NO. of Significance 5 7 7 8 15 15

Statistical analysis for metal concentrations at plant samples of different treatments (NPK, KALA, MIX)

0.8703

1.2349

2.579

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

NPK MIX KALA

Cuc

umbe

r Nitr

ogen

(%)

Treatment

Nitrogen content in cucumber fruits

Heavy metals concentrations in cucumber

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

As Be Cd Co Cr Cu Fe Li Mn Mo Ni Pb Sb Sr Ti V Zn Tl Si B

Con

c. (m

g/l)

Element

Kala NPK

Heavy metals concentrations in tomato

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

1.4

1.6

As Be Cd Co Cr Cu Fe Li Mn Mo Ni Pb Sb Sr Ti V Zn Tl Si B

Con

c. (m

g/l)

Element

NPK KALA

Heavy metals concentrations in cabbage

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

As Be Cd Co Cr Cu Fe Li Mn Mo Ni Pb Sb Sr Ti V Zn Tl Si B

Con

c. (m

g/l)

Element

NPK KALA

Heavy metals concentrations in lettuce

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

As Be Cd Co Cr Cu Fe Li Mn Mo Ni Pb Sb Sr Ti V Zn Tl Si B

Con

c. (m

g/l)

Element

NPK KALA

Heavy metals concentrations in carrot

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

As Be Cd Co Cr Cu Fe Li Mn Mo Ni Pb Sb Sr Ti V Zn Tl Si B

Con

c. (m

g/l)

Element

NPK KALA

Heavy metals concentrations in potato

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

As Be Cd Co Cr Cu Fe Li Mn Mo Ni Pb Sb Sr Ti V Zn Tl Si B

Con

c. (m

g/l)

Element

NPK KALA

Biological Analysis

Microbial Analysis Reportتقرير التحليل الميكروبيولوجي للعينات

للحدود الميكروبيولوجيا للسلع 1089/2000المالحظات: : تعتبر العينةمطابقة للمواصفة القياسية العمانية رقم والمواد الغذائية الجزء األول

يعتمد،،،

قيس بن سليمان الكشري توقيع المحلل: ك . م

مدير إدارة الشؤون الصحية

3932 رقم العينة: Reference no:

:Submitted by الجهة المرسلة: جامعة السلطان قابوس

:Date received 16/3/2013تاريخ اإلرسال:

1نوع العينة: طماطم Type of sample:

:Trade mark االسم التجاري: -

:.Country of manuf بلد المنشأ:

:Date of manuf.: Expir تاريخ اإلنتاج: - تاريخ اإلنتهاء : -

1عدد العينات: Number of samples:

20/3/2013تاريخ التقرير: Date of report:

:Remarks مالحظات أخرى:

RESULTS TYPE OF TEST

Nil Total aerobic plate count

Nil Coliform bacteria

Nil E. coli

- Staphylococcus aureus

Nil Salmonella spp.

- Yeast &mould

- Others

Water Productivity

Water productivity factor can be calculated by comparing water used in this study with plant production

Water productivity = Total fruit weight (Kg) / water applied (m3)

• Kala compost was a good media for plant growth.• Chemical analysis did not show any problem of

heavy metal accumulation either in soil or plant samples.

• Biologically, all crops grown in this study were free from any harmful bacteria that could affect human health.

The finding of this year must be confirmed by second and third years studies.

Conclusion

Acknowledgment

Thank you for all co-investigators for their continuous support during the study.

Special thanks to Haya Water for their financial support.

http://www.haya.com.om/tabid/56/Default.aspx�