Abstract
The blending of drainage with water of low electrical conductivity and the sequential reuse of the drainage water are innovative technologies to manage salts in agricultural drainage. Plants of Cucumis melo were grown in coir grow bags, and Rosmarinus officinalis and Cacti spp. were grown in pots with a mixture of sphagnum peat-moss and perlite. In order to assess the effect and evolution over time of these water treatments on plant growth and water management and removal of nutrients, three water treatments were applied over a period of eight weeks. These were: (1) standard nutrient solution; (2) blended water treatment (drainage water blended with water of low electrical conductivity (EC)) and (3) sequential reuse of drainage water treatment. During the experimental growing period, samples of water supplies and drainages generated in each water treatment were collected weekly and from these data water volume and nutrient loads were calculated. At the end of the experiment, leaf fresh weight of rosemary plants decreased under the fertigation with the blended and sequential reuse water treatments. Nevertheless, the application of blended and sequentially reused water allowed for the saving of significant amounts of water and nutrients in comparison to the standard nutrient solution treatment. Considering these advantages, we strongly recommend the setting-up of these water treatments in areas with water scarcity such as in the Mediterranean Basin.
Highlights
The soilless surface in the Spanish Southeast consists of 5500 ha [1]
With the values obtained using equations, we determined the distribution ratio (DR) of each species that can be grown in each water system
The values of DR in T1 was 1/0.25 and in T2 was 1/0.50 which were applied to T0 in order to compare the data obtained between water systems
Summary
Most soilless cropping systems in the greenhouses of this area are free-draining, known as “open”, systems that drain directly into the underlying soil [2,3] As a consequence, this horticultural production system generates a high level of pollution in the environment due to the presence of high concentrations of nitrates and phosphorus in the drainages [4]. The establishment of closed hydroponic systems could be an advisable technique for growers in this area since it contributes to a reduction in water and fertilizer consumption [5] This technique is barely implemented mainly due to the investment costs and the frequent replenishment of recirculating nutrient solutions due to the salinity of the groundwater used for irrigation [6]. The fear of disease and the risk of reduced yields is another disadvantage for the recycling of water and nutrients in greenhouse production [7]
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