Implications of the Recycling of Sewage Sludge to the Agroecosystem: Zinc Transfer in the Soil-Plant-Arthropod System

Authors: Green, I.D. and Tibbett, M.

Editors: Dhir, R.K., Mukesh, C., Limbachiya, M.C. and McCarthy, M.J.

Pages: 217-225

Publisher: Thomas Telford

Place of Publication: London

Abstract:

This study examines the transfer of zinc from an agricultural soil amended with sewage sludge through the soil-wheat-aphid system. Total zinc concentrations of the amended soil were well within the recommended limit. The results indicate that there is variation in the accumulation of zinc in the shoots of winter and spring wheat cultivars, with spring wheat showing higher concentrations. The subsequent transfer of zinc from the wheat to a sap feeding herbivore (Sitobean avenae) resulted in the biomagnification of zinc by a factor of two. A high sewage sludge application rate was associated with a significant decrease in the biomass of aphids. These results are discussed in the context of sewage sludge recycling in the modern agro-ecosystem.

Source: Manual

Preferred by: Iain Green