effect of municipal waste leachate on soil properties and growth and yield of rice

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Effect of municipal waste leachate on soil propertiesand growth and yield of riceA. H. Khoshgoftarmanesh a & M. Kalbasi aa Department of Soil Science , College of Agriculture , Isfahan University of Technology ,Isfahan, IranPublished online: 05 Feb 2007.

To cite this article: A. H. Khoshgoftarmanesh & M. Kalbasi (2002) Effect of municipal waste leachate on soil propertiesand growth and yield of rice, Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, 33:13-14, 2011-2020, DOI: 10.1081/CSS-120005745

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EFFECT OF MUNICIPAL WASTELEACHATE ON SOIL PROPERTIES AND

GROWTH AND YIELD OF RICE

A. H. Khoshgoftarmanesh* and M. Kalbasi

Department of Soil Science, College of Agriculture, Isfahan

University of Technology, Isfahan, Iran

ABSTRACT

Making use of any organic matter sources, including municipal

waste leachate (MWL) produced in process of converting solid

waste refuses into compost in arid and semi-arid regions like

central Iran, is very important. During 1998, a field experiment

was conducted to investigate the effects of MWL on soil

properties, growth, and yield of rice (Oriza sativa L.). The

treatments consisted of 0, 150, 300, and 600 t of MWL ha21 and a

control nitrogen–phosphorus–potassium–zinc (N–P–K–Zn)

fertilizer treatment in a randomized complete block design with

three replications. Rice seedlings were transferred to 4 £ 4 m

plots, which were flooded previously. Municipal waste leachate

was applied at tillering and panicle stages. At harvest, straw and

grain yield as well as concentrations of several nutrients and

heavy metals were determined in rice straw and grain. Application

of 150 and 300 t of MWL ha21 increased the straw and grain yield,

but 600 t ha21 treatment decreased the yield of grain compared to

the control fertilizer treatment. Municipal waste leachate

2011

Copyright q 2002 by Marcel Dekker, Inc. www.dekker.com

*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]

COMMUN. SOIL SCI. PLANT ANAL., 33(13&14), 2011–2020 (2002)

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increased the amounts of available macro- (N, P, K) and

micronutrients [iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), Zn, and copper (Cu)]

in soil, which in turn enhanced soil productivity and crop yield.

The straw and grain yields were increased from 7.0 and 4.2 t ha21

in NO MWL to 16.7 and 6.9 t ha21 in 300 t ha21 MWL treatment,

respectively. The amounts of nutrient uptake were highest in 300 t

of MWL ha21. Application of MWL significantly increased the

levels of EDTA–extractable nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), cobalt

(Co), and lead (Pb) in the soil. Although MWL increased

concentrations of some heavy metals in rice, particular in

600 t ha21 MWL treatment, the concentrations were below the

reported critical levels for these metals. Municipal waste leachate

is rich in plant nutrients and OM and is acidic; therefore, it may be

used as a liquid fertilizer especially in calcareous soils.

INTRODUCTION

Disposal of municipal waste is a major environmental problem. Increased

urbanization and industrialization, especially in developing countries, requires

municipal authorities to handle larger amount of municipal waste than in the

past.[1,2] Considerable attention has been paid to the land application of municipal

solid waste (MSW) composts and sewage sludge worldwide in recent years.[3,4]

Land application of MWL, however, has received no attention because of its

limited production in Iran.

A large volume of leachate is produced in the process of converting solid

waste refuse into compost due to the high moisture content of municipal solid

waste in Iran. The leachate production will reach a volume of 5,000 m3 per day, if

all the municipal waste produced in the country is converted into compost.

Municipal waste leachate has been reported to affect soil physical and chemical

properties.[5,6] It promoted soil aggregation, reduced surface crusting, reduced pH

in calcareous soils, and increased soil organic matter.[5,7]

In a 2-year study, application of 320 t ha21 of an animal husbandry sewage

effluent with 2.4% dry matter increased corn yield significantly.[8] Irrigation with

a secondary sewage effluent increased the growth and yield of vegetables.[9] The

yield of plots irrigated with this effluent was as high as plots receiving N, P, and K

fertilizers.

Application of residues or refuse to soil usually increases availability of

macro- and micronutrients.[10 – 12] Alleviation of micronutrient deficiencies by

application of manure,[8] poultry refuse,[13] and sewage sludge[14] has been

reported.

KHOSHGOFTARMANESH AND KALBASI2012

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Application of refuse to soil may increase the heavy metal contents of the soil

that may allow transfer of these metals into the plant. This phenomena usually occurs

when industrial sludge is used[3,15] or when a high rate of sewage sludge is applied to

the soil. The aim of this research work was to study the effects of MWL application

on 1) rice yield, 2) accumulation of heavy metals by rice, and 3) soil properties.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

An experiment was conducted during 1998 in the experimental field of

Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, Iran. The soil was a Typic haplargids

(Table 1). A randomized complete block design with three replications was used.

The treatments consisted of 0, 150, 300, and 600 t of MWL ha21 and a control N–

P–K–Zn fertilizer treatment with the same amount as their contents in 600 t ha21

MWL (i.e., 100 kg N ha21 as urea, 300 kg P ha21 as triple superphosphate,

400 kg K ha21 as potassium sulfate, and 40 kg Zn ha21 as zinc sulfate).

The experimental area, 21-m wide and 35-m long, was divided lengthwise

into three blocks (replications). Each block was further divided into five 4 £ 4-m

plots. Experimental plots were laterally isolated in the field by using plastic

sheets pushed into the soil to a depth of 40 cm, so that 25 cm remained above the

soil surface. Rice seedlings (4 weeks old) of cultivar Zayandehrud were

transplanted and grown in flooded plots. The standard 20 £ 20 cm spacing, which

had the same plant population, was used. Municipal waste leachate (Table 2) and

N fertilizer were applied half at tillering and half at panicle stage. All of the P–

K–Zn fertilizers were used before transplanting.

At harvest, grain and straw samples were dried at 708C and analyzed for N, P,

K, Fe, Cu, Zn, Pb, Ni, Co, Cr, and Cd were determined by wet combustion[16] and

by atomic absorption spectrometry (Perkin–Elmer 3030 AA spectrometer).[17]

Before planting and after harvesting of rice, soil samples were collected from

surface (0–30 cm) and subsurface (30–60 cm) layers in each plot, air-dried, and

crushed to pass a 2-mm screen before analysis. Soil pH was measured in soil

saturation paste on a digital pH-meter. Available-P content in the soil was

determined by a colorimetric method[18] and available-K was extracted with

Table 1. Some Physical and Chemical Properties of the Soil Used

Soil Depth

(cm) Texture

pH

(Paste)

EC

(dS m21)

OM

(%)

CEC

(cmol kg21)

0–30 Silty clay 7.6 2.5 0.76 17.5

30–60 Silty clay 7.4 2.7 0.70 17.4

MUNICIPAL WASTE LEACHATE 2013

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NH4-Ac (flame-photometer method).[17] Available Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Pb, Ni, Co, Cr,

and Cd were extracted with EDTA[18] and then determined using AAS

technique.[17] Statistical analysis was performed using SAS program.[18]

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Effect of MWL on Soil Properties

The positive relationship of soil electrical conductivity (EC) to MWL

application for the 0–60 cm depth (Table 3) shows an excessive content of salts

in MWL. Soil EC values in plots amended with 600 t ha21 MWL, were doubled

relative to NO MWL treatment. The EC reached to levels characterized as

slightly saline that may adversely affect the growth of rice.[19] Leaching of

soluble salts contained in MWL during the rice cropping explains the low soil

salinity of the top 30-cm (Table 3).

Municipal waste leachate significantly ðP ¼ 0:05Þ decreased soil pH at both

sampling depths (Table 3). The observed decrease in the pH of the surface and

subsurface soils in MWL treatments are attributed to the acidifying effect of

MWL (Table 2).

Table 2. Chemical Composition of MWL

Parameter Unit Quantity

pH — 4.60

EC dS m21 29.00

Dry matter % 5.00

OM % 38.50

N g L21 0.06

P g L21 0.13

K g L21 2.37

Fe mg L21 62.50

Cu mg L21 3.70

Zn mg L21 18.10

Mn mg L21 5.00

Pb mg L21 1.50

Ni mg L21 0.82

Cr mg L21 0.60

Cd mg L21 ,0.01

C/N — 13.00


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Table 3. The Effects of MWL on Soil Properties

Extractable (mg kg21)

Treatment pH EC (dS m21) OM (%) N P K

0–30 cm

NO MWL 7.6a 1.5c 0.61c 32bc 22c 200c

Fertilizer 7.5a 1.6bc 0.61c 28c 25c 214c

150 MWL 7.4b 1.8b 0.85b 34b 38b 223c

300 MWL 7.3b 1.9a 0.92b 35ab 38b 266b

600 MWL 7.2c 3.0a 1.10a 52a 46a 315a

30–60 cm

NO MWL 6.9a 1.1c 0.55c 26c 20b 187c

Fertilizer 6.8a 1.2c 0.60bc 26c 20b 197c

150 MWL 6.6b 1.4bc 0.68ab 30bc 36a 202c

300 MWL 6.5b 1.9ab 0.76a 32b 39a 250b

600 MWL 6.3c 2.5a 0.79a 38a 41a 298a

Means with common letter in each column are not significantly different at P ¼ 0:05:

Table 4. The Effects of MWL on EDTA-Extractable Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Pb, Ni, Cd, Co, and

Cr in the Soil

Extractable (mg kg21)

Treatment Fe Mn Zn Cu Pb Ni Cd Co Cr

0–30 cm

NO MWL 30d 45b 3.2b 1.8c 2.6c 0.6d 0.16a 0.6c 0.8d

Fertilizer 35cd 53b 5.1b 2.0c 3.9b 1.0c 0.23a 0.7c 1.0cd

150 MWL 40c 68ab 4.0b 2.5b 4.5ab 1.1bc 0.26a 0.9bc 1.2bc

300 MWL 54b 66ab 5.0b 3.0ab 5.0a 1.4ab 0.26a 1.1ab 1.3ab

600 MWL 80a 96a 8.6a 3.1a 5.3a 1.5a 0.30a 1.3ab 1.7a

30–60 cm

NO MWL 26c 58c 2.3c 1.7b 4.3b 1.7b 0.80a 1.2b 1.8b

Fertilizer 38b 70bc 3.0ab 1.9b 4.7a 1.9b 0.70a 1.0b 1.7b

150 MWL 44b 72bc 2.9b 3.2a 5.1a 3.2a 0.90a 1.3b 1.9b

300 MWL 61a 94ab 3.4ab 2.4a 5.2a 2.4a 0.90a 1.5ab 2.2b

600 MWL 64a 106a 3.5a 2.5a 5.4a 2.5a 0.90a 1.8a 2.9a



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The organic matter (OM) content of the soil, increased with application of

MWL (Table 3). There was a positive relationship between the rate of MWL

applied and the increase in OM content at the 0- to 60 cm depth. About 23 t

OM ha21 were added to the soil by 600 t ha21 MWL treatment.

The amount of available N, P, and K in soil increased as the result of

leachate application (Table 3). The increases were significant for both depths,

especially for 600 t ha21 treatment.

Figure 1. Effect of MWL on straw and grain yield of rice.

Table 5. The Effects of MWL on Accumulation of N, P, K in Rice

Accumulation (kg ha21)

Treatment N P K

Straw

NO MWL 203b 17.5c 212.6c

Fertilizer 427a 44.5c 476.6a

150 MWL 446a 46.2b 518.8a

300 MWL 534a 74.5a 267.9a

600 MWL 460a 44.4b 358.3b

Grain

NO MWL 147d 14.7c 15.4b

Fertilizer 210bc 21.1bc 30.7ab

150 MWL 247b 25.2b 24.4b

300 MWL 303a 36.7a 46.9a

600 MWL 194c 18.5bc 23.1b



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18

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2.8

b3

.0a

0.6

a,

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30

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4.3

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3.5

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Municipal waste leachate application significantly ðP ¼ 0:05Þ increased the

levels of EDTA-zinc, Fe, Mn, and Cu in the soil profile (Table 4). About 0.038 t

soluble-Fe ha21, 0.008 t soluble-Mn ha21, 0.011 t soluble-Zn ha21, and 0.002 t

soluble-Cu ha21 were added to the soil by application of 600 t ha21 MWL (Table 2).

Application of MWL increased the amount of EDTA-extractable Ni, Cr,

Co, and Pb in the soil but had no effect on EDTA-Cd (Table 4). Excess trace

elements in MWL may be an occasional problem for the agricultural application

of MWL, but usually MWL contains these metals at relatively low concentrations

(Table 4).

Effects of MWL on Rice Growth and Yield

Application of MWL increased the amounts of macro- and micronutrients

in the soil and in turn promoted soil productivity and crop yield. The straw and

grain yield and the amount of nutrient accumulation were highest with 300 t of

MWL ha21 (Fig. 1). Although low crop yield in 600 t ha21 plots may have been

caused by high soil salinity (Table 1), the highest yield of straw and grain

produced by 300 t ha21 plants, suggests that MWL application at reasonable rates

was associated with highest yields.

Crop yield was significantly correlated to any measured soil nutrition

attributes so that the amounts of macronutrient in plant increased as the result of

MWL application (Table 5). The highest N, P, and K accumulation was related to

300 t ha21 due to high rice yield in this treatment.

By MWL application, concentrations of Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Pb, Cr, and Ni

increased in straw and grain (Table 6). Municipal waste leachate had no

significant effect on Cr and Cd concentrations in plant. Lowering pH causes these

metal ions to be more soluble and thus more available to the plant.[20]

Municipal waste leachate is rich in plant nutrients and OM and is acidic,

therefore, it may be used as a liquid fertilizer especially in calcareous soils. Due

to the high leachate salinity, its frequent application as well as high rates is not

recommended, especially for saline-sensitive crops.

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effect of municipal waste leachate on soil properties and growth and yield of rice

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