Response of fodder sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) to sewage sludge treatment and irrigation intervals in a dryland condition

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted in the Experimental Research Farm of OmdurmanIslamic University, Sudan to determine short-term effect of irrigation intervals (7 and10 days) and sun-dried or composted sewage sludge, recommended mineral fertilizeron straw dry matter yield (SDMY) and N, P and K content of fodder sorghum and soilproperties. In the 7 and 10 days irrigation intervals, composted, sun-dried sludge andmineral fertilizer have significantly increased SDMY over the control by 51, 98, 67 and78, 19, 33%, respectively. Apparent N use efficiency (ANUE) in composted and sundried plots irrigated at either 7 or 10 days was 9 - 36 and 16 - 74%, respectively.Reducing the irrigation interval has significantly increased salinity by 13%. Increasingirrigation interval has decreased bulk density by 5%. It could be concluded that,application of composted sludge is a useful practice for improvement of soil propertiesand consequent yield increase.