Impact of Sugar Industrial Treated Effluent on the Growth Factor in Sugarcane—Cuddalore, India

Abstract

The present study focused on evaluating the impact of application of sugar industry treated wastewater effluent on Sug- arcane growth comparing at two experimental farms, one irrigated with the effluent and the other with bore well water, over a period of 11 months (March 2010 to January 2011).The result indicated a significant increase in growth pattern, plant height, shoot diameter, number of leaves and nodes, and biomass of the saplings that was irrigated with the efflu- ents compared to that irrigated with bore well water. The growth parameters showed close relationship with the nutrient contents of treated industrial effluent and bore well water, the former being characterized by relatively higher pH, elec- trical conductivity (μs/cm), total suspended solids (TSS), sulphate, biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen de- mand, nitrate and phosphate, and heavy metals—Cu, Pb, Cd, Zn and Mn (mg/l) compared to that of bore well water, indicating profound influence of nutrient rich sugar industry effluent on the plant growth. Higher biomass in sugarcane saplings resulted with irrigation of the effluents compared to that irrigated with the bore well water. Keywords: