Impact of disposable diapers on the growth of Jatroph acurcas seedlings

Abstract

The water scarcity, wide spread of sandy soil; forestry growth and the great amount of wasted diapers (SAP) are debating issues worldwide. The present study wasinitiated to evaluate the roles of disposable diaper on the growth of JatrophaCurcas seedlings. In a greenhouse study, one- year- old seedlings of Jatropha sp. were purchased from a private nursery, Cairo (April, 1st 2019). Three levels of SAP are used (0.0, 0.67, and 1.5%). In addition, 15% clay treatment was used for comparison. These additives substances were mixed thoroughly with 20 kg of sandy clay loam soils. The seedlings were irrigated twice a week using 3 L of tap water (0.5 dS m-1) per pot, to ensure that the seedlings were successfully established for four months. After irrigation ceases, ten leaves were collected for determining the relative water content (RWC), then the pots were weighed daily for following water losses by evapotranspiration. This weighing processwas continued till seedlings wilting. So, the longevity for each treatment was recorded. Some growth parameters were determined after removing such sapling at its wilting point.The results presented great variations in the growth parameters, wilting points (soil water contents), RWC, cumulative ETs, ET rates, and survival times.Some polynomials were used to estimate seedlings growth magnitude. The survivability was 38, 54, 72 and 64 days for 0.0, 0.67 and 1.5 %SAP, and 15% clay treatments, respectively. The relative water contents (RWC) were 81.81, 80.0, 76.47 and 90.63 % for the 0.0, 0.67 and 1.5 %SAP, and 15% clay treatments, respectively.