The Contents of Microelements and Exogenous Amino Acids in Spring Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Grain after Municipal Sewage Sludge Fertilization

Abstract

The research was conducted to assess the effect of municipal sewage fertilization on the contents of microelements and exogenous amino acids in grain of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The investigations were conducted as a field experiment in the years 2005-2007 on the silt loam soil classified as Stagnic Gleysol. The experimental design comprised 5 treatments of fertilization in four replications: unfertilized control (0), mineral materials (M), pig manure (PM), municipal sewage sludge from mechanical-biological treatment plant (SS1) and municipal sewage sludge from biological treatment plant (SS2). On the basis of obtained results it was stated that difficult access of plants to nitrogen supplied with sewage sludge may considerably determine the crop yield and its quality, particularly in the first year after the fertilizers application. Applied doses of sewage sludge did not affect significantly the contents of analyzed microelements or exogenous amino acids. Irrespective of applied fertilization, the microelements which reduced fodder value of spring wheat were copper and manganese, whereas protein concentrations were determined by lysine content.