AGROECOLOGICAL FEATURES OF SEWAGE SLUDGE APPLICATION IN BUCKWHEAT CULTIVATION AND ITS RESIDUAL EFFECT ON THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE FACULTATIVE WHEAT VARIETY 'MYRONIVCHANKA'

DOI: https://doi.org/10.32848/agrar.innov.2026.37.9
Keywords: Fagopyrum esculentum, Triticum, organicmineral fertilizers, residual effect of fertilizers, yield structure, crop lodging, Forest-Steppe

Abstract

Objective. To substantiate the agroecological expediency and efficiency of applying various rates of sewage sludge (SS) as an unconventional organic-mineral fertilizer for buckwheat cultivation, and to evaluate its prolonged residual effect on the biometric parameters and yield structure of the subsequent crop in rotation – the facultative wheat variety 'Myronivchanka'. Methods. The research was conducted during 2024–2025 in a small-plot field experiment (threefold replication). The experimental design included four variants of dry matter SS application rates (control, 15, 30, and 60 t/ha) applied to two buckwheat varieties ('Volia' and 'Volodar'). After harvesting the buckwheat, surface tillage (rotary tilling to 10–12 cm) was performed, and facultative wheat was sown. Laboratory-agrochemical, phenological, biometric, and mathematical-statistical (analysis of variance, ANOVA) methods were applied. Results. Chemical analysis confirmed the high agrochemical potential of SS: the content of mineral nitrogen exceeded soil indicators by 4 times, available phosphorus by 10 times, and exchangeable potassium by 5 times, while maintaining ecologically safe concentrations of heavy metals. The application of SS enhanced the growth processes of both buckwheat varieties. The maximum grain yield (1.8–1.9 t/ha) was obtained at an application rate of 30 t/ha. Increasing the dose to 60 t/ha stimulated excessive vegetative growth, causing crop lodging and a subsequent reduction in grain yield. In 2025, a significant residual effect of SS on facultative wheat was observed: the 30 and 60 t/ha variants provided a significant increase in plant height by 6.3–9.6 cm and the number of grains per spike. However, the 60 t/ha variant led to wheat lodging during the grain-filling stage and a decrease in the 1000 grain weight to 35.0 g. Conclusions. Sewage sludge is an effective, longacting organic-mineral fertilizer. The optimal and agroecologically justified application rate is 30 t/ha, which ensures stable buckwheat yields and positively influences the formation of productivity components in facultative wheat as a residual effect.

References

1. Lykhochvor, V.V., Petrychenko, V.F. (2021). Fiziolohichna rol elementiv zhyvlennia ta systemy udobrennia polovykh kultur [Physiological role of nutrients and fertilization systems of field crops]. Lviv, 280 p. [in Ukrainian].
2. Zaryshniak, A.S., Tsvei, Ya.P., Ivanina, V.V. (2015). Optymizatsiia udobrennia ta rodiuchosti gruntu v sivozminakh: nauk. vyd. [Optimization of fertilization and soil fertility in crop rotations: scientific publication]. Kyiv: Ahrarna nauka, 207 p. [in Ukrainian].
3. Savenko, I.M., Shevchenko, L.P. (2020). Vplyv mulovykh dobryv na fizyko-khimichni pokaznyky chornozemiv [Influence of sewage sludge fertilizers on physicochemical properties of chernozem soils]. Ahroekolohichnyi zhurnal, 3, 45–50. [in Ukrainian].
4. Hryshchenko, R. Ye. (2015). Fotosyntetychna produktyvnist posiviv hrechky v pivnichnomu Lisostepu [Photosynthetic productivity of buckwheat crops in the northern Forest-Steppe]. Zbirnyk naukovykh prats NNTs “Instytut zemlerobstva NAAN”, 1, 57–62. [in Ukrainian].
5. Dykyi, O.M. (2021). Teoretychni osnovy mineralnoho zhyvlennia hrechky [Theoretical foundations of mineral nutrition of buckwheat]. Peredhirne ta hirske zemlerobstvo i tvarynnytstvo, 70(2), 95–107. [in Ukrainian].
6. Parkhuts, B.I. (2018). Vplyv rivnia mineralnoho udobrennia na produktyvnist hrechky v umovakh Zakhidnoho Lisostepu Ukrainy [Influence of mineral fertilization level on buckwheat productivity in the Western Forest-Steppe of Ukraine]. Visnyk LNAU: Ahronomiia, 22(2), 137–140. [in Ukrainian].
7. Tkalich, I.D., Tkalich, Yu.V. (2019). Osoblyvosti vyroshchuvannia hrechky v pisliaukisnykh posivakh [Features of buckwheat cultivation in post-harvest sowings]. Zernovi kultury, 3(1), 68–76. https://doi.org/10.31867/2523-4544/0062 [in Ukrainian].
8. Xiaomei, F. (2018). Effects of nitrogen fertilizer and planting density on the leaf photosynthetic characteristics, agronomic traits and grain yield in common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum M.). Field Crops Research, 219, 160. URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378429017318476 [in English].
9. Wang, Y. (2018). Influence of foliar feeding of boric fertilizers on nutrients of rhizosphere soil, plant growth and yield of wine buckwheat. Journal of Southern Agriculture, 49, 253–257. [in English].
10. Podolska, G. (2011). Wplyw nawozenia azotem na plonowanie i cechy struktury plonu gryki odmiany Kora [The effect of nitrogen fertilization on the yield and structural characteristics of buckwheat of the Kora variety]. Polish Journal of Agronomy, 6, 38–43. URL: https://www.iung.pl/PJA/wydane/6/PJA6_6 [in Polish].
11. Olifir Yu.M., Bahai T.I., Borysiuk V.S., Ivaniuk V.Ia. (2018). Vplyv rivnia mineralnoho udobrennia ta pozakorenevoho pidzhyvlennia na urozhainist bobiv kormovykh v umovakh Zakhidnoho Lisostepu Ukrainy [The effect of mineral fertilization and foliar feeding on the yield of fodder beans in the Western Forest-Steppe of Ukraine]. Peredhirne ta hirske zemlerobstvo i tvarynnytstvo, 63, 117–127. [in Ukrainian].
12. Pyliak, N.V., Krutiakova, V.I., Dyshliuk, V.Ye. (2020). Ekoloho-mikrobiolohichna kharakterystyka novykh biodobryv na osnovi osadiv stichnykh vod ochysnykh sporud m. Odesa [Ecological and microbiological characteristics of new biofertilizers based on sewage sludge from wastewater treatment plants of Odesa]. Ahroekolohichnyi zhurnal, 3, 86–95. [in Ukrainian].
13. Muter, O., Dubova, L., Kassien, O., Cakane, J., Alsina, I. (2022). Application of the sewage sludge in agriculture: soil fertility, technoeconomic, and life-cycle assessment. IntechOpen. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.104264 [in English].
14. Bedwal, S., Kuldeep, Kumar, S., Singh, C. (2022). Impact of sewage sludge on crop growth, soil quality and nutrient dynamics in system-based approach. The Pharma Innovation Journal, SP-11(3), 1399–1406. [in English].
15. Martyniuk, I.V., Tsymbal, Ya.S., Savchenko, S.D., Savchenko, Ye.D. (2024). Efektyvnist vyroshchuvannia krupianykh kultur u korotkorotatsiinykh orhanichnykh sivozminakh Livoberezhnoho Lisostepu Ukrainy [Efficiency of cereal crop cultivation in short-rotation organic crop rotations of the Left-Bank Forest-Steppe of Ukraine]. Visnyk ahrarnoi nauky, 11(860), 5–10. [in Ukrainian].
16. Mazur, V.A., Lypovyi, V.H., Mordvaniuk, M.O. (2020). Metodyka naukovykh doslidzhen v ahronomii [Methodology of scientific research in agronomy]. Vinnytsia: VTs TOV “TVORY”, 204 p. [in Ukrainian].
17. Dubovyi, V. I., & Kholodenko, I. V. (2025). Mulovi masy stichnykh vod yak alternatyva orhano-mineralnym dobryvam pry vyroshchuvanni hrechky [Sewage sludge as an alternative to organo-mineral fertilizers in buckwheat cultivation]. Ahrarni innovatsii (Agrarian Innovations), 34, 60–66. [in Ukrainian].
Published
2026-09-23
Issue
No 37 (2026): Agrarian innovations
Section
MELIORATION, ARABLE FARMING, HORTICULTURE
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.