In this research, sustainable materials such as biochar and terracotta were utilized to recover nutrients from synthetic dairy (DWW) and municipal wastewater (SWW) sources. Then, these materials were used in soil amendments to study their effects on corn growth including drought stress management. A total of 80 corn plants were grown using five different soil mediums and using four different nutrient treatments. 20 of the plants were put through a simulated drought to evaluate if the different soil mediums can resist the negative effects caused by droughts. A drip irrigation system was installed in all 80 pots and was imposed with 100% Hoagland nutrient solution (HNS) from day 0 to day 6 after being sown to maximize germination rates. The pots were irrigated once a day for 60 seconds for the first two days after sowing. The irrigation flow rate was 50 mL per minute. However, the nutrient treatment and irrigation time and flow were modified during the rest of the experiment to study the effect of simulated drought effects. The results showed that nutrients recovered from synthetic municipal and dairy wastewater can be used as an effective soil amendment to improve corn growth in the initial stages of the plant’s development in both warm and cold weather. In most nutrient treatments, the corn plants grown in the SWW and DWW soil amendments produced on average a larger plant in height, leaf area, and root area and were heavier than the rest of the plants. The SWW soil amendment had a drawback in the 0% HNS and warm weather. The SWW soil medium had large retention in soil moisture which had a negative growth effect on the corn plants grown in that soil. It is recommended that the irrigation be monitored closely when applying the SWW soil amendment to make sure the plants are not overwatered if treated with 0% HNS. In addition to improving the plant’s growth, the SWW and DWW soil amendments are effective in reducing the negative effects caused by droughts. The SWW and DWW corn plants in the simulated drought conditions (SDC) revealed a larger plant size and weight than the control plants in the SDC. In future testing, a longer-term study should be conducted to determine if the SWW and DWW soil amendments can continue to improve the corn plants’ growth.
