Effect of digested sewage sludge on the efficiency of N-fertilizer applied to barley

Enhanced microbial activity following sewage sludge land application may affect soil N cycling and, therefore, plant available N. We studied the effect of anaerobically treated sewage sludge on N-fertilizer efficiency and on some aspects of the soil N cycling. Field plots (3 m × 9 m) sown with barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) in November were amended with a) sludge (80 mg ha-1) and ammonium nitrate (150 kg N ha-1), b) ammonium nitrate (150 kg ha-1) only, c) or left unamended. Monthly soil samples were taken from 0 to 20-and 20 to 50-cm depths to determine soil inorganic N (NH4 +, NO3-). Denitrification in the upper 20-cm horizon was estimated by measuring N2O+N2 emission from undisturbed soil samples by the acetylene-inhibition technique. Crop yield parameters were analysed before harvesting, and grain production was recorded. With respect to the control, the yield increase for the N-fertilizer treatment was 85% and 45% for the sludge + N-fertilizer treatment. The decrease of N-fertilizer efficiency in sludge amended plots was presumably due to a decrease in spring plant available N. Presumably, microbial immobilisation and denitrification in organic amended treatments were responsible for the decrease in N-fertilizer efficiency.