UTILIZATION OF EAST SEBAEYA (EL-MAHAMEED) PHOSPHATE PROCESSING PLANT TAILINGS AS PHOSPHATE FERTILIZER

A greenhouse experiment using broad bean plant was carried out to evaluate the reuse of East Sabaeya phosphate processing plant tailings as phosphate fertilizer compared to the traditional super phosphate. Two soil samples were used for this experiment (sandy and calcareous soils). Phosphate tailings was pretreated either with 10 % concentrated HCl and/or HNO₃ and crushed to pass 250 micron sieve. Different samples of phosphate tailings were combined with different phosphorus activating agents; i.e. humic acid (HA), farmyard manure (FYM) and phosphate dissolving microbial (PDM).
In sandy and calcareous soils there is a highly significant difference in dry weights and P uptake between the control treatment and other treatments received phosphate sources. Also, there is a significant difference between treatment received traditional super phosphate (SP) alone and the RP (alone) treatment. On the other hand, there is no significant difference in dry weights of treatment received traditional super phosphate (SP) and the other treatments treated with HCl and/or HNO₃ in combination with activating agents.
In sandy soil it is possible to use phosphate tailings in combination with either FYM or PDM. In calcareous soil it is possible to use phosphate tailings in combination with PDM or HA instead of using super phosphate, mixed with different activators or phosphate tailings treated with different acids. This experiment showed the possibility of direct application of phosphate tailings in both sandy and calcareous soils after treating with the activating agents.