Skip to main content
ARS Home » Midwest Area » St. Paul, Minnesota » Soil and Water Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #84048
Title: RESIDUAL EFFECTS OF LONG TERM SEWAGE SLUDGE UTILIZATION ON AN AGRICULTURAL WATERSHED

Author
item HORMANN, CHRISTARA
item Clapp, Charles
item Dowdy, Robert
item STARK, STEVE
item HALBACH, THOMAS

Submitted to: Agronomy Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/27/1997
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Research was initiated at St. Paul, Minnesota in 1972 with the objective of developing efficient, practical, and environmentally safe methods for utilizing municipal sewage sludge on land in harmony with agricultural usage. Sludge from local wastewater treatment plants was applied to a 16-ha terraced watershed over a 20-year span. For 4 years following the final application of sludge, soil and plant samples were collected and analyzed. While both treatment areas remained relatively unchanged, the sludge- amended soil showed a slight decrease in total C and N, soluble salts, and pH. Extractable P levels remain very high on sludge-treated terraces and exchangeable K levels are adequate for good crop growth. Crop yields, nutrient uptake, and elemental analyses will also be discussed.