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

Shrimp farming is economically admired and environmentally accused in Bangladesh. Environmental impacts of shrimp farm are related among others to management of waste water and 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 matter. The performance of sludge as organic manure was studied on Mahogany seedlings, which was grown on incremental sludge (10%, 20%, 30% --------- 90%) mixture with soil and the performance was compared with other soil mixtures (soil with chemical fertilizer; soil with cow dung and soil with both chemical fertilizer and cow dung mixture) in the nursery. The height, diameter, biomass (leaf, root and shoot) and nutrient concentrations (N, P and K) in leaf of seedlings were 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% sludge and soil with both chemical fertilizer and cow dung mixture. The biomass (leaf, root and shoot) production was higher in soil mixture with 90% sludge than soil with both chemical fertilizer and cow dung mixture.