Reuse of Stabilization Pond Effluent for Citrus reticulata (Orange), Forest and Road Verge Plants

Abstract

Utilisation of domestic seuage, treated in a stabilization pond, for growing orange (Citrus reticulata var - Nagpur Orange), forest and verge plants was initiated at the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nagpur in 1978. The irrigation quality of the stabilization pond effluent (SPE) was compared with that of well waters at NEERI and at the orange farms of Katol and warud (35 to 55 km north of Nagpur). The SPE was found to be comparable with these well waters. Soils on NEERI fields uere also found comparable with those of some of the orange farms at Uarud and Katol. Irrigation scheduling was formulated for oranges at NEERI. To study effects of 3PE irrigation, some of the orange plants uere irrigated with well water and ethers with the SPE. Fruiting on most of the plants was not regulated; effluent irrigated plant leaves exhibited similar osmotic concentration but higher succulence than well uater irrigated plant leaves; there was an increase in potassium, decrease in sodium and no effect in calcium content in the uater extracts of SPE irrigated leaves. Amongst the forest and verge plante, Cassia siamia. Peltophoruminerme, Enterelobiumsaman. Casuarinaequisetifolia, Eucalyptuscitrodora,Lagerstroemiaspeciosa, Terminalia catappa and Leucaenaqlauca responded well to SPE irrigation, though the response varied with the soil conditions. A garden developed around pilet seuage treatment plants clearly demonstrates scientific reuse of treated seuage for creating an appealing landscape and beautification of otherwise discarded areas.