National Center for Studies and Research on Water and Energy (CNEREE), Cadi Ayyad University, P.O.Box 511, Marrakech, Morocco; Laboratory of Water, Biodiversity and Climate change, Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, P.O.Box 2390, Marrakech, Morocco.
National Center for Studies and Research on Water and Energy (CNEREE), Cadi Ayyad University, P.O.Box 511, Marrakech, Morocco; Laboratory of Water, Biodiversity and Climate change, Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, P.O.Box 2390, Marrakech, Morocco.
J Environ Manage. 2024 Feb;351:119802. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.119802. Epub 2023 Dec 21.
The depletion of water resources has gained global attention, particularly in arid climates, where there is growing interest in reusing treated wastewater for irrigation. This study focuses on the impact of irrigating treated wastewater using a hybrid multi-soil-layering (MSL) technology on soil physicochemical properties and the agro-physiological characteristics of maize (Zea mays) cultivated in Morocco, a region characterized by arid conditions. To achieve this research goals, three plots were cultivated with Zea mays and subjected to irrigation with water of varying qualities: raw wastewater (RWW), treated wastewater (TWW), and well water (WW). This experiment ran for five months, covering one crop season. The physicochemical and microbiological parameters in the soil and water were investigated, and the agro-physiological characteristics of the maize crops were assessed. The findings revealed significant differences in physicochemical and microbial parameters within both water and soil, as well as in the physiological responses of the maize crop, among the three water treatments. TWW's quality met the permissible limits for direct wastewater discharge, as prescribed by Moroccan norms, making it suitable for potential irrigation reuse. Moreover, the higher content of key elements (Na, K, Ca, and Mg) in WW indicated that TWW was more suitable for irrigation. Zea mays irrigated with RWW and TWW exhibited a higher accumulation of protein and sugar content compared to WW irrigation. Furthermore, the biomass parameters, including root, aerial, and grain dry weight, showed a positive effect on Zea mays irrigated with RWW and TWW compared to WW. Total chlorophyll content, on the other hand, was highest in plants irrigated with WW, followed by TWW. Plants irrigated with RWW produced the highest amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Conversely, plants irrigated with WW had a higher content of Ca, Na, and Mg. TWW yielded medium concentrations of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, and Na compared to RWW and WW, attributed to the nutrients provided by irrigation with TWW using the hybrid MSL technology. In conclusion, aside from their use as irrigation water, treated wastewater emerges as a valuable source of plant nutrients and soil fertilizers. They offer significant nutritive value, enhancing plant growth, reducing the need for additional fertilizer application, lowering mineral fertilization costs, and increasing the productivity of infertile soils. This highlights the potential of treated wastewater to improve agricultural sustainability in arid regions like Morocco.
水资源的枯竭引起了全球关注，特别是在干旱气候地区，人们对利用处理后的废水进行灌溉越来越感兴趣。本研究聚焦于在摩洛哥，一个干旱地区，使用混合多土层（MSL）技术处理废水灌溉对土壤物理化学性质和玉米（Zea mays）农艺生理特性的影响。为了实现这一研究目标，在三个地块种植了玉米，并使用不同水质的水进行灌溉：原废水（RWW）、处理后的废水（TWW）和井水（WW）。该实验进行了五个月，涵盖了一个作物季节。调查了土壤和水中的物理化学和微生物参数，并评估了玉米作物的农艺生理特性。研究结果表明，三种水处理方法在水和土壤中的物理化学和微生物参数以及玉米作物的生理反应方面存在显著差异。TWW 的质量符合摩洛哥规范规定的直接废水排放允许限值，因此适合潜在的灌溉再利用。此外，WW 中关键元素（Na、K、Ca 和 Mg）的含量较高，表明 TWW 更适合灌溉。与 WW 灌溉相比，用 RWW 和 TWW 灌溉的玉米积累了更多的蛋白质和糖分。此外，与 WW 灌溉相比，用 RWW 和 TWW 灌溉的玉米的根、地上和籽粒干重等生物量参数也表现出积极的影响。另一方面，总叶绿素含量在 WW 灌溉的植物中最高，其次是 TWW。用 RWW 灌溉的植物产生的氮、磷和钾最多。相反，用 WW 灌溉的植物含有较高的 Ca、Na 和 Mg。与 RWW 和 WW 相比，TWW 产生的 N、P、K、Ca、Mg 和 Na 浓度中等，这归因于使用混合 MSL 技术用 TWW 灌溉提供的养分。总之，除了用作灌溉用水外，处理后的废水还成为植物营养物质和土壤肥料的宝贵来源。它们提供了显著的营养价值，促进了植物的生长，减少了对额外肥料的需求，降低了矿物肥料的成本，并提高了贫瘠土壤的生产力。这突显了处理后的废水在改善像摩洛哥这样的干旱地区农业可持续性方面的潜力。
