The Impact of Treated Wastewater Irrigation on the Metabolism of Barley Grown in Arid and Semi-Arid Regions

Alan Alvarez-Holguin, Gabriel Sosa-Perez, Omar Castor Ponce-Garcia, Carlos Rene Lara-Macias, Federico Villarreal-Guerrero, Carlos Gustavo Monzon-Burgos and Jesus Manuel Ochoa-Rivero
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Alan Alvarez-Holguin: Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agricolas y Pecuarias (INIFAP), Campo Experimental La Campana, Aldama, Chihuahua 32910, Mexico
Gabriel Sosa-Perez: Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agricolas y Pecuarias (INIFAP), Campo Experimental La Campana, Aldama, Chihuahua 32910, Mexico
Omar Castor Ponce-Garcia: Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agricolas y Pecuarias (INIFAP), Campo Experimental La Campana, Aldama, Chihuahua 32910, Mexico
Carlos Rene Lara-Macias: Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agricolas y Pecuarias (INIFAP), Campo Experimental La Campana, Aldama, Chihuahua 32910, Mexico
Federico Villarreal-Guerrero: College of Animal Production and Ecology, Autonomous University of Chihuahua, Chihuahua 31453, Mexico
Carlos Gustavo Monzon-Burgos: College of Animal Production and Ecology, Autonomous University of Chihuahua, Chihuahua 31453, Mexico
Jesus Manuel Ochoa-Rivero: Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agricolas y Pecuarias (INIFAP), Campo Experimental La Campana, Aldama, Chihuahua 32910, Mexico

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 4, 1-16

Abstract: The use of treated wastewater (TWW) for irrigation has gained global attention since it reduces pressure on groundwater (GW) and surface water. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of TWW on agronomic, photosynthetic, stomatal, and nutritional characteristics of barley plants. The experiment with barley was established on two bands: one band was irrigated with GW and the other with TWW. The evaluation was performed 25, 40, 60, 90, and 115 days after sowing (DAS). Results showed that irrigation with TWW increased ( p < 0.01) grain yield by 54.3% and forage yield by 39.4% compared to GW irrigation. In addition, it increased plant height (PH) ( p = 0.013), chlorophyll concentration index (CCI) ( p = 0.006), and leaf area index (LAI) ( p = 0.002). TWW also produced a positive effect ( p < 0.05) in all the photosynthetic efficiency parameters evaluated. Barley plants irrigated with TWW had lower stomatal density (SD) and area (SA) ( p < 0.001) than plants irrigated with GW. Plants irrigated with TWW had a higher P concentration ( p < 0.05) in stems and roots and K concentration in leaves than plants irrigated with GW. We concluded that the use of TWW induced important biochemical, physiological, and agronomic changes in barley plants. Hence, the use of TWW may be a sustainable alternative for barley production in arid and semi-arid regions. This study was part of a government project, which aimed to develop a new metropolitan irrigation district with TWW. This study may contribute to the sustainability of water resources and agricultural practices in northern Mexico.

Keywords: agriculture; nutritional composition; photosynthetic efficiency; stomata; wastewater reuse (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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