Assessment of Non-Conventional Irrigation Water in Greenhouse Cucumber ( Cucumis sativus ) Production

Muhammad Mumtaz Khan, Mansour Hamed Al-Haddabi, Muhammad Tahir Akram, Muhammad Azam Khan, Aitazaz A. Farooque and Sajjad Ahmad Siddiqi
Additional contact information
Muhammad Mumtaz Khan: Department Plant Sciences, College of Agriculture and Marine Science, Sultan Qaboos University, P.O. Box 34, Al-khoud 123, Oman
Mansour Hamed Al-Haddabi: Department Soils, Water and Agricultural Engineering, College of Agriculture and Marine Science, Sultan Qaboos University, P.O. Box 34, Al-khoud 123, Oman
Muhammad Tahir Akram: Department of Horticulture, PMAS-Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi 46300, Pakistan
Muhammad Azam Khan: Department of Horticulture, PMAS-Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi 46300, Pakistan
Aitazaz A. Farooque: Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering, School of Sustainable Design Engineering, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, PE C1A 4P3, Canada
Sajjad Ahmad Siddiqi: Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering, College of Engineering, Sultan Qaboos University, P.O. Box 33, Al-khoud 123, Oman

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: Climate change, urbanization and subsequent environmental changes are depleting freshwater resources around the globe. The reuse of domestic, industrial and agricultural wastewater is an alternative approach to freshwater that can be used for irrigation purposes. However, these wastewaters may contain hazardous and toxic elements, such as heavy metals that are hazardous for human health and the environment. Therefore, an experiment was conducted to evaluate the concentration of macro, micro and heavy metals in cucumber irrigated with different resources (tap water, greywater, dairy water and wastewater). The results showed that the use of different irrigation resources has increased the level of macro (sodium (Na), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg)), microelements (zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn)), and heavy metals (copper (Cu), barium (Ba), lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd)) in cucumber leaves and fruits. However, their levels were in the range that is safe for human health and the environment was as recommended by FAO maximum values of trace elements (Zn, 2.0; Fe 1.0; Mn, 0.2; Cu, 0.2; Pb, 5.0, and Cd, 0.01 mgL −1 ). Based on observations, it was also revealed that among different irrigation resources, the use of dairy water in cucumber improved its agronomic attributes and maximum plant yield (1191.02 g), while the different irrigation resources showed a non-significant impact on fruit diameter. However, total soluble solid contents (TSS) were more significant in cucumber fruits treated with wastewater (2.26 °brix) followed by dairy water (2.06 °brix), while the least TSS contents (1.57 °brix) were observed in cucumber plants treated with tap water. The significance of non-conventional irrigation water use in agriculture, particularly greenhouse cucumber ( Cucumis sativus ) production, is discussed.

Keywords: climate change; environment; heavy metals; human health; resources; wastewater (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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