The present experiment entitled was conducted during
kharif and
rabi season of 2021-22 and 2022-23 at horticulture field under agronomy section, College of Agriculture, Nagpur. The experimental soil was classified as Vertisols with a clay loam in texture (13.20% coarse, 8.20% sand, 22% silt and 56.60% clay), in available nitrogen (253.21kg ha
-1), medium in available phosphorus (21.22 kg ha
-1) and very high in potassium content (396.76 kg ha
-1). The soil was alkaline in reaction (pH 7.7). The electrical conductivity and organic carbon were 0.36 dSm
-1 and 0.53 per cent, respectively.
The experiment was laid out in split plot design with four replications. The main plot treatments and subplot treatment applied. Main plot treatment-irrigation water quality- viz, W1- Sewage water, W2- Treated sewage water, W3-Fresh water. Sub plot treatment- crop sequences- viz, S1- Maize-Maize.S2- Maize-Lucerne.S3- Maize-Sorghum, S4-Maize-Cowpea.
The pH values of all water sources remained within the safe limit of 6.5 to 8.4 (FAO 1985), with W₁ (sewage water) showing slightly lower pH values (7.1-7.3) than W₃ (freshwater: 7.4-7.6), which indicates slightly more acidic nature of sewage water. Electrical conductivity (EC) was observed to be highest in W₁ (0.59-0.61 dsm⁻¹), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) higher in sewage water and followed in treated sewage water, (BOD: 18.36-20.21 mg L⁻¹; COD: 51.34-53.41 mg L⁻¹), exceeding the safe limits of 3.0 mg L⁻¹ and 100 mg L⁻¹, respectively (WHO, 2006). Treated sewage water (W₂) showed substantial reduction in BOD (4.8-5.4 mg L⁻¹) and COD (15.32-17.35 mg L⁻¹), indicating improved quality post-treatment.
Micronutrients (Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn) Content in water Micronutrient levels in sewage water (W₁) were notably higher compared to treated sewage water (W₂) and freshwater (W₃). Fe concentrations in W₁ ranged from 5.24 to 5.64 mg L⁻¹, which slightly exceeds the safe limit of 5.0 mg L⁻¹ (FAO, 1985).
Heavy metal analysis showed that lead (Pb) concentrations in W₁ ranged from 0.16 to 0.19 mg L⁻¹, well below the permissible limit (5.2 mg L⁻¹), but significantly higher than in W₂ and W₃. Cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), and cobalt (Co) were detected only in W₁, with Cr and Co values approaching their respective limits (0.1 and 0.05 mg L⁻¹), whereas W₂ and W₃ had negligible or non-detectable levels.
The results showed that treated sewage water (W₂) produced the highest growth performance of fodder maize during both years (2021-22 and 2022-23). It recorded maximum values for plant height (183.44 and 185.56 cm), number of functional leaves (11.70 and 12.13), leaf area (47.38 and 49.06 dm²), stem girth (6.44 and 6.96 cm), leaf: stem ratio (0.47 and 0.49), and dry matter per plant (69.33 and 73.38 g). This treatment was statistically at par with sewage water (W₁), while fresh water (W₃) consistently produced the lowest values. Among the cropping sequences, the maize-cowpea system proved superior, recording the highest growth attributes of fodder maize at harvest. This included plant height (182.25 and 184.04 cm), number of functional leaves (11.66 and 11.42), leaf area (45.42 and 46.17 dm²), stem girth (6.59 and 6.90 cm), leaf: stem ratio (0.46 and 0.48), and dry matter per plant (68.08 and 70.58 g) during the respective years of 2021-22 and 2022-23.
The enhanced growth under treated sewage water is attributed to improved nutrient availability, while legume-based sequences such as maize-cowpea contributed to soil fertility and nitrogen enrichment. The study concludes that using treated sewage water in combination with legume-based crop sequences is a promising strategy for sustainable forage maize production, particularly under water-limited conditions.
