Estimation of the Phytostimulating Potential of a New Highly Dispersed Metallurgical Sludge‒Humic Acid Agricultural Product Using the Example of Wheat

An approach is proposed for solving two urgent problems: the environmentally safe conversion of metal-containing sludges and the creation of efficient and low-cost agricultural fertilizers from them. The highly dispersed state of the sludge makes it bioactive and its use in the form of a dispersed metallurgical sludge (S)‒natural component humic acids (HA) complex makes it biocompatible with plants and more environmentally safe. The optimum HAs : S concentration ratios (1 : 5) in the complex are determined when using it as a plant growth and development stimulator. A set of analytical methods, including optical and scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis, X-ray diffraction, and infrared (IR) spectroscopy, is applied. An increase in the activity of catalase and peroxidase enzymes and, as a result, in wheat growth rates facilitates an increase in the yield by 20% when the complex is used.