The effect of irrigation with anaerobic baffled reactor effluent on nutrient availability, soil properties and maize growth

•Plant nutrient-rich effluent that meets maize P requirement for maize growth.•Unfertilized effluent-irrigation is similar to water-irrigation at half fertilization.•Soil properties influenced nutrient availability and uptake by maize plants.•Residual effects on soil for P and Mg concentrations after effluent application.•Liming effect of effluent counteracted by lime application on the acidic Ia soil. A glasshouse study was carried out to assess the availability to maize of nutrients from anaerobic baffled reactor (ABR) effluent. Maize was grown for 6 weeks in pots with three contrasting soils namely a sandy soil (Cartref (Cf), Typic Haplaquept), an organic, acidic soil (Inanda (Ia), Rhodic Hapludox) and a clayey soil (Sepane (Se), Aquic Haplustalf). Fertilizer (N, P and K) was applied at the recommended rate, half the recommended rate and zero fertilizer for each of the soils used. Lime was applied to the Ia following recommendations. Plants were irrigated with either effluent or tap water. Dry matter yields and nutrient concentrations for effluent-irrigated maize were significantly higher (p