Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate growth and production of ornamental sunflower (Helianthuns annuus L.), cv. Anão de Jardim, irrigated with dilutions of human urine in treated domestic effluent. The experiment was carried out in completely randomized design with five treatments and four replicates, in a greenhouse. Treatments consisted of four dilutions of human urine (0, 2, 4 and 6%) in treated domestic effluent and fertilization with 50% of the recommendation of mineral fertilizer. Plants irrigated with human urine dilutions (2, 4 and 6%) in treated domestic effluent and fertilized with 50% of the recommendation of nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) showed reductions of growth and production, while those irrigated with 0% human urine dilution in treated domestic effluent and fertilized with 50% of N and K recommendation exhibited similar performance to those irrigated with public-supply water and fertilized with 100% of the recommendation of mineral fertilizer. The obtained results allow to infer on the viability of replacing public-supply water by treated domestic effluent for irrigation, with reduction of 50% in N and K fertilization, without prejudice to the growth and production of ornamental sunflower plants, cv. Anão de Jardim.
Highlights
Sunflower production has great economic importance and potential as ornamental plant due to factors related to the crop, such as short cycle, easy propagation and cultivation, and especially because its inflorescence has postharvest durability and is very beautiful and attractive
The results found in the present study for plant height corroborate those reported by other authors (Souza et al, 2010; Andrade et al, 2012; Freitas et al, 2012), who observed increment in the height of plants irrigated with wastewater
The means of shoot fresh matter (SFM) and shoot dry matter (SDM) were reduced in plants irrigated with dilutions of urine in domestic effluent, except for plants irrigated with dilution of 0% HU + 100% TDE, which showed SFM and SDM means equal to those of plants irrigated with public-supply water (Table 6)
Summary
Sunflower production has great economic importance and potential as ornamental plant due to factors related to the crop, such as short cycle, easy propagation and cultivation, and especially because its inflorescence has postharvest durability and is very beautiful and attractive. Wastewater use in agriculture has significantly increased, especially due to the increasing difficulty to identify alternative water sources for irrigation and to the high cost of chemical fertilizers and treatment systems for discharge of effluents into receiving bodies (Hespanhol, 2003). In addition to these factors, water reuse is a strategic element in the integrated management of water resources, since it increases the offer and meets the jas.ccsenet.org
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