Waste to resource: use of water treatment residual for increased maize productivity and micronutrient content

Soil degradation, which is linked to poor nutrient management, remains a major constraint to sustained crop production in smallholder urban agriculture (UA) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). While organic nutrient resources are often used in UA to complement mineral fertilizers in soil fertility manageme...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental geochemistry and health 2022-10, Vol.44 (10), p.3359-3376
Main Authors: Gwandu, T., Blake, L. I., Nezomba, H., Rurinda, J., Chivasa, S., Mtambanengwe, F., Johnson, K. L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aluminium
Aluminum
Chemical properties
Chemicophysical properties
Composting
Composts
Copper
Corn
Crop production
Earth and Environmental Science
Environment
Environmental Chemistry
Environmental Health
Farm buildings
Fertility
Fertilizers
Geochemistry
Human nutrition
Manganese
Mineral fertilizers
Mineral nutrients
Nutrient content
Nutrient uptake
Nutrients
Nutrition
Original Paper
Productivity
Public Health
Soil
Soil chemistry
Soil degradation
Soil fertility
Soil management
Soil nutrients
Soil properties
Soil Science & Conservation
Sustainable development
Sustainable Development Goals
Terrestrial Pollution
Uptake
Urban agriculture
Urban populations
Water treatment
Water use
Zinc
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Summary:Soil degradation, which is linked to poor nutrient management, remains a major constraint to sustained crop production in smallholder urban agriculture (UA) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). While organic nutrient resources are often used in UA to complement mineral fertilizers in soil fertility management, they are usually scarce and of poor quality to provide optimum nutrients for crop uptake. Alternative soil nutrient management options are required. This study, therefore, evaluates the short-term benefits of applying an aluminium-based water treatment residual (Al-WTR), in combination with compost and inorganic P fertilizer, on soil chemical properties, and maize ( Zea mays L.) productivity and nutrient uptake. An eight-week greenhouse experiment was established with 12 treatments consisting of soil, Al-WTR and compost (with or without P fertilizer). The co-amendment (10% Al-WTR + 10% compost) produced maize shoot biomass of 3.92 ± 0.16 g at 5 weeks after emergence, significantly ( p  
ISSN:0269-4042
1573-2983
DOI:10.1007/s10653-021-01100-z