EFFECT OF FAECAL SLUDGE ON CABBAGE PRODUCTION

2.7 billion people worldwide rely on onsite sanitation and it is a big problem in developing countries. Faecal sludge is a good source of micro/macronutrients of plant besides its richness in organic matter. Two consecutive field experiments was conducted in BRAC Agricultural Research and Development Centre, Gazipur during Rabi 2015-16 and rabi 2016-17 aimed to determine the effect of faecal sludge on crop production and how much dosage need for maximum yield. Cabbage was the test crop. It was observed that harvesting time was significantly shortened and 25.51% curd weight and 26.55% yield was increase with addition of faecal and chemical fertilizer. No significant differences were found on the dosage of faecal on head formation and head diameter. In the addition of full dosage of faecal with chemical fertilizer, 41.04% and 8.61% curd weight increase than only faecal and chemical fertilizer. Application of full dosage of faecal with full dosages of chemical increases yield 7.28%, 10.66%, 6.88% and 38.75 % than application of half faecal, three-fourth faecal, only chemical fertilizer and only faecal. So addition of full dosage of faecal with chemical fertilizer gives the highest yield on crop. In Bangladesh, faecal might be recycled into agricultural soils as a supplement to commercial fertilizer and thereby enrich the general fertility of the soils and increase crop production.


Introduction
Faecal sludge is one of the biggest problems in developing countries.The urban environment ends up awash in untreated human waste; with sever public health and environmental consequences, not only for those with inadequate sanitation, but for everyone else too.There are about 2.7 billion people worldwide rely on onsite sanitation and has not been transported through a sewer.It is raw of partially digested, a slurry or semisolid and results from the collection, storage or treatment of combinations of excreta and black water, with or without grey water (Moya Diaz-Aguado et al., 2017;Özyazıcı, 2013).
Faecal sludge that is collected from septic tanks poses management challenges in urban areas of developing countries.Currently, faecal sludge is dumped into the urban and peri-urban environment, posing great risks to the soil, surface water and groundwater quality (Singha et al., 2017).
The management of faecal sludge (septic tank and pit latrine) is very limited and untreated waste ends up entering the urban environment with significant health and environmental implications (Rohini et al., 2017).
Sewage sludge improved soil structure, increases infiltration rate, aggregate stability and soil water holding capacity (Sort and Alcaniz, 1999).As sewage sludge, faecal sludge is a valuable soil conditioner because it contains organic matter, nitrogen and phosphorus.
Human excreta/faecal is a good source of micro/macronutrients of plant besides its richness in organic matter.Human excreta/faecal constitutes a large fertilizer resource, the metals (Ca, Mg, Zn, Cu, Ni, Cd, Pb, Hg) are mainly excreted via the faeces and the remaining elements (N, P, K, S, B) are mainly excreted via the urine (Schouw et al., 2002).
Its irrationalized and unscientific application severely affects plant growth, animal nutrition and human health; moreover, crops responses to sludge application vary by source, application rate, plant species, soil type, weathering conditions and application management (Rabie et al., 1997).Barriquelo et al. (2003) showed a high yield after sludge application, because its content of macro/micronutrients.According to Berti and Jacobs (1996), faecal sludge may be used in agriculture for increasing product yield.
At the present time, several developing countries are facing the challenge of developing scientifically based, but feasible and useful standards within their social and economical context to manage sludge (Jimenez et al., 2006).As faecal sludge studies very limited in Bangladesh, we find it is necessary and useful to study the effect of human faecal on crop productivity.

Crop Cultivation
Cabbage was selected as test crop in the experiments.The crop was cultivated in cool moist season in sandy loam soil having PH 6.The seeding was done in 16 October 2015 and 30 days old seedling was transplanted in 15 November 2015.Hardening of seedlings is done by withholding irrigation 4-6 days prior to planting.The spacing was maintained 60 x 45 x 45 cm in a paired row system.Irrigation will be done as and when necessary.For pest and insect control both biological and chemicals techniques were used.

Effect of faecal compared with chemical fertilizer and cow dung
There were no significant differences were recorded in time of head formation and number leaves per plant by application of recommended dosages of chemical fertilizer, chemical fertilizer with cowdung and chemical fertilizer with faecal.

Effect of dosage of faecal on crop yield
After findings of the effect of faecal on cabbage head yield and yield components, next Rabi-2016-17 examine how much faecal need to better yield and whether applying faecal, chemical fertilizer and/or organic fertilizer is necessary or not.
There were no significant differences recorded in day to head formation and head width with application of different dosages of chemical fertilizers with faecal.Yield is one of the important characters and it depends on different parameter contributing to yield.Significant differences were found in cabbage head yield.The highest yield (36.95 t ac - 1 ) was recorded in treatment of recommended dosages of chemical fertilizer with recommended dosage of faecal and lowest yield (26.63 t ac -1 ) recorded where applied only faecal.There were no significant yield differences where applied only recommended chemical fertilizer (34.57t ac - 1 ), half dosage of recommended chemical fertilizer (33.39 t ac -1 ) and three-fourth chemical fertilizers (34.44 t ac -1 ).Szymańska et al. (2013) found that the yield of wheat, maize and vetch increased with addition of sewage sludge with mineral fertilizer by 62.6, 95 and 16.4%, respectively vs. control, while only sludge application increase was 89.7, 177.0, and 32.3%, respectively vs. control.Barriquelo et al. (2003) showed a high yield after sludge application, because it's content of macro/ micronutrients.

Table 1 .
Effect of faecal sludge compared with chemical fertilizer and cow dung.

Table 2 .
Effect of dosage of faecal on crop yield.