Effects of Winery Wastewater to Soils on Mineral Properties and Soil Carbon

Max Nightingale-McMahon (), Brett Robinson, Brendon Malcolm, Tim Clough and David Whitehead
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Max Nightingale-McMahon: School of Physical and Chemical Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand
Brett Robinson: School of Physical and Chemical Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand
Brendon Malcolm: The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Lincoln 7608, New Zealand
Tim Clough: Faculty of Agriculture & Life Sciences, Lincoln University, Lincoln 7647, New Zealand
David Whitehead: Manaaki Whenua—Landcare Research, Lincoln 7608, New Zealand

Land, 2024, vol. 13, issue 6, 1-13

Abstract: Winery wastewater (WW) is a high-volume biowaste and, in the context of Marlborough and New Zealand wineries, there is a growing recognition of the need to improve current WW disposal systems to mitigate negative environmental impacts. The application of WW to land is a low-cost method of disposal, that could significantly reduce the environmental risk associated with WW directly entering surface and groundwater bodies. This study analysed elemental concentrations in WW and soils from three Marlborough vineyards across their annual vintage to determine the loading rates of nutrients into WW and the subsequent accumulation effects of WW irrigation on receiving soils. The findings showed loading rates of approximately 1.8 t ha −1 yr −1 of sodium within WW and a significant increase in soil sodium concentration and pH, attributed to sodium-based cleaning products. A loading rate of approximately 4 t ha −1 yr −1 of total organic carbon was also identified within WW, however, significant losses in soil carbon, nitrogen, magnesium and calcium concentrations were identified. Focusing efforts to retain key nutrients from WW within soils could provide benefits to New Zealand’s wine industry, facilitating increased biomass production in irrigation plots, thereby increasing biodiversity and potentially generating incentives for vineyard owners to contribute to increasing biomass carbon stocks and offset agricultural greenhouse gas emissions.

Keywords: sustainability; wine; wastewater reclamation; sustainable development goal 15; life on land; soil carbon loss (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jlands:v:13:y:2024:i:6:p:751-:d:1403395

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