Water and fertilizer efficiency in a polyculture cropping system under three production systems

Ignacio Mejía-Ugalde,Juan Fernando García-Trejo,Juan Manuel Vera-Morales,Luciano Ávila-Juárez,Marcela Vargas-Hernández,Susana Rodríguez-Jurado

doi:10.2166/wrd.2020.027

Ignacio Mejía-Ugalde, Juan Fernando García-Trejo + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.2166/wrd.2020.027

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Abstract

Abstract Approximately 40% of the water used in intensive agriculture is discarded as ‘drainage,’ which contains high amounts of ions that pollute the environment. This work aimed at investigating polyculture (tomatoes, cucumbers, and lettuce) under three production systems, namely, open (OPS), soil (SPS), and closed (CPS), in which the drainage water from the first crop was used to feed the second crop, and the water from the second crop was used to feed the third crop. The water and fertilizer efficiencies and some physical–chemical properties of the plants and soil were measured. The results showed no significant difference in the yield for polycultures between the CPS and OPS systems. The most efficient system for water use was the CPS, with 54.85 kg m−3, with a water savings of 55.69% compared to the OPS. The efficiency of fertilizers, such as N, P, K, Ca, and Mg, was statistically higher in the CPS, providing more kilograms of fruit per kilogram of nutrients. The reuse of drainage water in a polyculture not only increased the efficiency of the water and fertilizers but also increased the yields produced per cubic meter of water used, thereby minimizing environmental contamination.

Highlights

In 2009, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) estimated that the global population in 2050 will be 9.3 billion; greater demands for water and food are expected
The highest yields of the production systems were obtained for tomatoes, at 143.41 t haÀ1, in the soil production systems (SPSs) and cucumbers. at 130.81 t haÀ1, in the closed production systems (CPSs)
The total yield of the polyculture significantly differed between CPS and open production systems (OPSs) (Figure 1). These results showed that the drainage water from some crops used to feed other crops following readjustment for nutrients was of good quality and improved yields relative to those under the OPS, in which the drainage was discarded

Summary

Introduction

In 2009, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) estimated that the global population in 2050 will be 9.3 billion; greater demands for water and food are expected. The outlook for water use is not very encouraging, especially considering that the agricultural sector is responsible for 70% of the global freshwater withdrawal and more than 90% of the global consumption. These solutions are commonly called ‘drainage’ and are mostly discharged to the ground, and they contain high amounts of ions, such as NO3À, PO4À, Kþ, Ca2þ, and Mg2þ, which cause substantial contamination of the soil and aquifers

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