Effect of Short-term Irrigation of Treated Wastewater on Vetch (Vicia sativa L.) and Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) Growth

Abstract

Background: This study was conducted to evaluate the production of two fodder crops; common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) and Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) irrigated with treated wastewater. The study was implemented during summer 2015. Methods: Four water regimes were used in the experiment including: Irrigation with fresh water (control), fresh water supplied by 10 ppm N-P-K fertilizer, treated wastewater and treated wastewater supplied with 10 ppm N-P-K fertilizer. The crops were planted in 5 liters plastic pots in 4:1 v/v sandy to clay soil. The soil was analyzed before and after planting. The following plant parameters were recorded: Plant height, fresh weight, dry weight, leaves number/plant, fruit number/plant and fruit weight/plant. Result: using treated wastewater significantly increased production parameters, the highest production was obtained with treated wastewater supplied with 10 ppm N-P-K fertilizer (81.5 cm/plant higher in vetch and 112.5 cm/plant in alfalfa for plant height). When treated wastewater was used alone compared to fresh water higher fresh weights (62.8 g/plant) (82.33 g/plant (132 and 87.17 g/plant) for vetch and alfalfa were obtained respectively. Regarding the dry weight, irrigation with TWW produced 33.83 g/plant and 44.67 g/plant compared to 22 g/plant and 24.5 g/plant for plants irrigated with fresh water for vetch and alfalfa respectively. The results of soil analysis show an increase in soil content of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, as well as an increase in soil salinity and SAR values.