Journal of Environmental Biology

Combinatorial effects of distillery and sugar factory effluents in crop plants

Kamlesh Nath, Dharam Singh and Yogesh Kumar Sharma*

*yogesh_s26@yahoo.com

Department of Botany, Lucknow University, Lucknow-226 007, India

(Received: May 26, 2006 ; Revised received: November 17, 2006 ; Accepted: December 05, 2006)

Abstract: Under the reutilization and recycling strategy of industrial effluents, treated distillery and sugar factory mixed effluent was used in petridish culture experiments to investigate its effect on seed germination and seedling growth in wheat, garden pea, black gram and mustard. The seed germination and seedling growth were significantly reduced with increase in concentration of the effluent. The fresh matter was found significantly increased in barley (1.16 g per seedling in 25% dilution level of effluents in comparison to 0.93 in control), while other higher dilution levels reduce it. Wheat, garden pea, black gram, mustard invariably showed inhibition in fresh weight. Dry weight was found consistently reduced or unchanged in different treatments. Total chlorophyll contents in barley were significantly increased in different treatments (2.351 and 2.721 mg/g fresh weight of tissue at 25, 50 % dilution levels in comparison to 1.781 of control) while in other crop it was reduced allover the treatments. Amylase activity in wheat, garden pea, black gram and mustard was reduced in all the treatments. Only in barley its level was enhanced from 0.76 to 0.85, 0.96, 0.81 in 25, 50, 75% dilution levels of the effluent mixture respectively. Based on the data of different crops barley was found to be highly tolerant as the 25 and 50% dilution levels of combined effluents. It showed no change in germination %, while seedling growth was increased in lower dilution levels of combined effluent as compared to control. Barley>garden pea>wheat>black gram>mustard gradually showed increased level of sensitivity respectively. Most detrimental effects were seen in mustard. This toxicity might be due to excess of nutrients, beyond the limits of tolerance. Therefore, the higher concentration of mixed effluent was not advisable for irrigation purpose, however, it could be used for irrigation purpose after proper treatment and dilution (one part treated effluent and five parts of available irrigation water), as this dilution level was found growth and yield promotory.

Key words:    Distillery and sugar factory effluent, Chlorophyll, Amylase, Toxicity, Nutrients

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