Recycled sewage sludge boosts farm soil health and crop yields
Jatav SS, Singh SK, Nath D, Kumari V, Sharma PK
Soil Health
If you compost or amend garden beds, this decade-long field trial shows that combining organic waste inputs with reduced synthetic fertilizer can outperform fertilizer alone, building richer, better-draining soil over time.
Farmers in India tested what happens when you add treated sewage sludge, essentially processed organic waste, to their usual fertilizer routine on rice and wheat fields. Over ten years, the combo grew more food and left the soil in better shape than fertilizer by itself: more organic matter, better water retention, and looser soil that roots can move through easily. Best of all, the heavy metals sometimes found in sludge stayed safely low, meaning this recycling approach could cut down on chemical fertilizer use without trading off safety.
Key Findings
Combining 100% recommended fertilizer with 30 t/ha sewage sludge (treatment T3) produced the highest crop productivity and soil health index score (0.85-1.0)
Even a reduced 75% fertilizer dose paired with 30 t/ha sludge (T9) matched top-tier soil health outcomes, showing synthetic input can be cut without losing performance
Alkaline phosphatase activity, available potassium, and microbial biomass nitrogen were identified as the most sensitive indicators for tracking soil health changes
chevron_right Technical Summary
Mixing treated sewage sludge with chemical fertilizer builds healthier, more productive soil in rice-wheat farming systems than fertilizer alone, cutting reliance on synthetic inputs while keeping heavy metals safely below risk thresholds.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Optimizing Soil Health and Productivity in Intensive Rice-Wheat Systems Using Conjoint Application of Sewage Sludge.
This study assessed the long-term sustainability of integrating sewage sludge (SSL) with recommended (100%) or reduced (75%) doses of chemical fertilizers to enhance soil health, crop productivity,...
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
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