EFFECT OF SHRIMP POND SLUDGE ON SEEDLING GROWTH OF MAHOGANY (Swieteniu macrophylla)

Abstract

Shrimp fanning is economically admired and environmentally accused in Bangladesh. Environmental impacts of shrimp farm are related among others to management of waste water aid pond sludge. Pond sludge has the potential to be recycled and also can be used as organic manure considering the presence of high level of nutrients and organic rnatter. The performance of sludge as organic manure "was studied on Mahogany seedlings, which was grown on incremental sludge (10%, 20%, 37% mixture with soil and the performance was compared with other soil mixtures (soil with chemical fertilizer; soil with cow dung and soii with both chernical fertllizer and cow dung mixture) in the nursery. The height, diameter, biomass (leaf, root and shoot) and nutrient concentrations 1N, f and K) in leaf of seedlings measured after 4 month of germination. It was observed that the height and diameter growth, nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in leaf of seedlings were similar in soil mixture with 90%-sludg"'and siil *ith both chemical fettilizer and cow dung mixture. The biomass (leaf, root and shoot) productio'n was higher in soil mixrure \\lth90% sludge than soil with both chemical fertilizer and cow dung mixture.