Sewage sludge

[brynseiri]

Detergents are not removed from sewage. Also, and this is big, hormones from birth control are not removed unless treated by ozone gas, not so common in Wales. I would steer clear of the sewage sludge my self, having worked in sewage and clean water treatment, I wouldn't entertain it. Allsorts of chemicals can or may be used as coagulants, usually ferric sulphate, basically heavy iron. Don't bother Walt, it will feck your land up. DC/WW's billion dollar question is what to do with sludge. Fact is, the technology isn't in place to render sewage sludge a viable and safe manure at this point in time.

 

[d-wales]

I used sludge a few years back on a field of rape,kale, swede etc. Wouldn't do it again, something in it left patches in the crop all through the field, looked like crop circles from the road, it's taken 2 years to sort out and bring back to normal

 

[DRC]

I used sludge a few years back on a field of rape,kale, swede etc. Wouldn't do it again, something in it left patches in the crop all through the field, looked like crop circles from the road, it's taken 2 years to sort out and bring back to normal

Could I ask what evidence you had that it was the sludge and how you sorted it out.
Reason I ask is,I have used it for over 20 yrs with no apparent problems.
In fact it's helped improve some poor land I bought and phosphate index has got to the stage where I may have to stop for a while .
It's well regulated,with soil testing regularly.
Surely if it was that bad then it wouldn't licenced for use.

 

[Romney_Rob]

Oestrogen levels are not good for sheep fertility.

That is such a good point and one i was wondering about - is there any evidence for and against or any research done on this at all?

Note: just read the post about treatment by ozone gas - will fire up google.

 

[easyram1]

That is such a good point and one i was wondering about - is there any evidence for and against or any research done on this at all?

I heard SAC's Prof John Robinson discussing the potential "nasties" from sewage sludge for ram breeding flocks at a ram breeding conference in 2010. I recall that the male offspring of ewes grazing sludge treated land could be at risk of reduced/damaged fertility even if the rams themselves were never on treated grassland. Research was carried out in Scotland at SAC or one of the other research institutes there. Similar advice was given by John Vipond in SAC's ram management booklet and by Eblex in their "Ram fit for purpose" booklet

 

[d-wales]

Could I ask what evidence you had that it was the sludge and how you sorted it out.
Reason I ask is,I have used it for over 20 yrs with no apparent problems.
In fact it's helped improve some poor land I bought and phosphate index has got to the stage where I may have to stop for a while .
It's well regulated,with soil testing regularly.
Surely if it was that bad then it wouldn't licenced for use.

No real evidence for it. Soil sampled the bad patches but nothing stood out.we grazed it, then sowed f.beet and grazed that, then back to grass which is doing well, only thing we could think of was that contractor spreading it put a load on in places before it was ploughed in.

 

[North west agri contrac]

Oestrogen levels are not good for sheep fertility.

Or cows, I heard a few years ago a dairy farmer couldn't get his cows in calf because they was all on the pill from the muck

 

[North west agri contrac]

Use united utilities on land I find it hard to take fym to. I have found that you need to plan with them, and chase them cos if you want stubble spreading for quick turnaround, they are busy at some times of year. But can stockpile which is handy. I am a bit concerned of the heavy metals too, so will keep an eye on that as well

Do they spread it or do you have to organise it?