Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effect of Short-term Irrigation of Wastewater on Wheat Growth and Nitrogen and Phosphorus in Soil

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Determine how plant age influences the effect of short-term wastewater irrigation on growth and nutrient uptake, soil available and N and P concentration. Sandy soil was left unplanted or planted with wheat and then watered with reverse osmosis (RO) water for 20 days. Wheat was planted so that plants were 7, 14 or 21 days old when half of the pots were irrigated with wastewater from days 20 to 35; the other pots received RO water until day 35. Similarly, unplanted pots received either RO or wastewater water from days 20 to 35. Irrigation with wastewater had little effect on plant dry weight, shoot N and P concentration or available N and P, and microbial biomass N and P in soil in both planted and unplanted treatments. Wastewater irrigation increased shoot N uptake compared with RO treatments only in plants that were 21 days old at the start of wastewater addition. Presence of plants reduced available nitrate up to 30-fold compared with unplanted soil. In this sandy soil, short-term wastewater irrigation had little effect on wheat growth, N and P uptake, and N and P concentration in soil. However, presence of plants reduced available N and P in soil compared with unplanted soils which would reduce potential of nutrient leaching after wastewater irrigation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Akhtar N, Inam A, Inam A, Khan NA (2012) Effects of city wastewater on the characteristics of wheat with varying doses of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Recent Res Sci Technol 4:18–29

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Alamgir M, McNeill A, Tang C, Marschner P (2012) Changes in soil P pools during legume residue decomposition. Soil Biol Biochem 49:70–77. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2012.01.031

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Avnimelech Y, Diab S, Kochba M (1993) Development and evaluation of a biofilter for turbid and nitrogen rich irrigation water. Water Res 27:785–790. https://doi.org/10.1016/0043-1354(93)90141-4

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Barreto AN, Nascimento JJVR, Medeiros EP, Nóbrega JA, Bezerra JRC (2013) Changes in chemical attributes of a Fluvent cultivated with castor bean and irrigated with wastewater. Rev Bras 17:480–486

    Google Scholar 

  • Bedessem ME, Edgar TV, Roll R (2005) Nitrogen removal in laboratory model leachfields with organic-rich layers. J Environ Qual 34:936–942. https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq2004.0024

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Biswas SK, Mojid MA, Wyseure GCL (2017) Physicochemical properties of soil under wheat cultivation by irrigation with municipal wastewater in Bangladesh. Commun Soil Sci Plan 48:1–10. https://doi.org/10.1080/00103624.2016.1253713

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Boyer EW, Goodale CL, Jaworski NA, Howarth RW (2002) Anthropogenic nitrogen sources and relationships to riverine nitrogen export in the northeastern U.S.A. Biogeochemistry 57:137–169. https://doi.org/10.1023/a:1015709302073

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bremner JM, Mulvaney C (1982) Nitrogen - total. In: Norman AG (ed) Methods of soil analysis, Part, vol 2. Chemical and Microbiological Properties. American Society of Agronomy, Madison, WI, pp 595–624

    Google Scholar 

  • Castro E, Mañas P, De Las HJ (2013) Effects of wastewater irrigation in soil properties and horticultural crop (Lactuca sativa L.). J Plant Nutr 36:1659–1677. https://doi.org/10.1080/01904167.2013.805221

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cereti CF, Rossini F, Federici F, Quaratino D, Vassilev N, Fenice M (2004) Reuse of microbially treated olive mill wastewater as fertiliser for wheat (Triticum durum Desf.). Bioresour Technol 91:135–140

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cooper P (2007) Historical aspects of wastewater treatment. In Lens P, Zeeman G, and Lettinga G (Eds) Decentralised sanitation and reuse: concepts, systems and implementation. IWA Publishing London (UK) 200:11–38

  • Ehdaie B, Merhaut DJ, Ahmadian S, Hoops AC, Khuong T, Layne AP, Waines JG (2010) Root system size influences water-nutrient uptake and nitrate leaching potential in wheat. J Agron Crop Sci 196:455–466. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-037X.2010.00433.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gärdenäs AI, Hopmans JW, Hanson BR, Šimůnek J (2005) Two-dimensional modeling of nitrate leaching for various fertigation scenarios under micro-irrigation. Agr Water Manage 74:219–242

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gastal F, Lemaire G (2002) N uptake and distribution in crops: an agronomical and ecophysiological perspective. J Exp Bot 53:789–799. https://doi.org/10.1093/jexbot/53.370.789

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gee GW, Or D (2002) Particle-size analysis. In: Dane JH, Topp CG (eds) Methods of soil analysis. Part 4 Physical Methods. Soil science Society of America, Madison, WI, pp 255–293

    Google Scholar 

  • Gibert O, Pomierny S, Rowe I, Kalin RM (2008) Selection of organic substrates as potential reactive materials for use in a denitrification permeable reactive barrier (PRB). Bioresour Technol 99:7587–7596

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hamarashid N, Othman M, Hussain M-A (2010) Effects of soil texture on chemical compositions, microbial populations and carbon mineralization in soil. Egypt J Exp Biol 6:59–64

    Google Scholar 

  • Hanson W (1950) The photometric determination of phosphorus in fertilizers using the phosphovanado-molybdate complex. J Sci Food Agric 1(6):172–173

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Howarth RW, Sharpley A, Walker D (2002) Sources of nutrient pollution to coastal waters in the United States: implications for achieving coastal water quality goals. Estuaries 25:656–676. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02804898

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jalali M, Merikhpour H, Kaledhonkar MJ, Van Der Zee SE (2008) Effects of wastewater irrigation on soil sodicity and nutrient leaching in calcareous soils. Agr Water Manage 95:143–153

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kouno K, Tuchiya Y, Ando T (1995) Measurement of soil microbial biomass phosphorus by an anion exchange membrane method. Soil Biol Biochem 27(10):1353–1357

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Le THX, Marschner P (2018) Mixing organic amendments with high and low C/N ratio influences nutrient availability and leaching in sandy soil. J Soil Sci Plant Nutr 18:952–964

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Le THX, Mosley L, Marschner P (2019) Wheat straw decomposition stage has little effect on the removal of inorganic N and P from wastewater leached through sand-straw mixes. Environ Technol:1–19

  • Liu YY, Haynes RJ (2011) Origin, nature, and treatment of effluents from dairy and meat processing factories and the effects of their irrigation on the quality of agricultural soils. Crit Rev Env Sci Tec 41:1531–1599. https://doi.org/10.1080/10643381003608359

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Marschner P, Hatam Z, Cavagnaro TR (2015) Soil respiration, microbial biomass and nutrient availability after the second residue addition are influenced by legacy effects of prior residue addition. Soil Biol Biochem 88:169–177

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Martínez S, Suay R, Moreno J, Segura M (2013) Reuse of tertiary municipal wastewater effluent for irrigation of Cucumis melo L. Irrigation Sci 31:661–672

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miranda KM, Espey MG, Wink DA (2001) A rapid, simple spectrophotometric method for simultaneous detection of nitrate and nitrite. Nitr Ox 5(1):62–71

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mojid M, Wyseure G (2013) Implications of municipal wastewater irrigation on soil health from a study in Bangladesh. Soil Use Manag 29:384–396

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moore J, Klose S, Tabatabai M (2000) Soil microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen as affected by cropping systems. Biol Fertil Soils 31(3):200–210

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Murphy J, Riley JP (1962) A modified single solution method for the determination of phosphate in natural waters. Anal Chim Acta 27:31–36

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Qadir M, Wichelns D, Raschid-Sally L, McCornick PG, Drechsel P, Bahri A, Minhas P (2010) The challenges of wastewater irrigation in developing countries. Agr Water Manage 97:561–568

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rayment G, Higginson FR (1992) Australian laboratory handbook of soil and water chemical methods. Inkata Press Pty Ltd.

  • Ruzhitskaya O, Gogina E (2017) Methods for removing of phosphates from wastewater. Matec web conf 106:07006. https://doi.org/10.1051/matecconf/201710607006

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • SA Water Wastewater Treatment Plants and Catchments (2013) SA water. Available via https://www.escosa.sa.gov.au/ArticleDocuments/482/121011-E2_SAWaterWastewaterTreatmen.pdf.aspx?Embed=Y. Accessed 2018 August 6

  • Sattelmacher B, Gerendas J, Thoms K, Brück H, Bagdady NH (1993) Interaction between root growth and mineral nutrition. Environ Exper Bot 33:63–73. https://doi.org/10.1016/0098-8472(93)90056-L

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sedlak RI (1991) Phosphorus and nitrogen removal from municipal wastewater : principles and practice, 2nd edn. Lewis Publishers, Chelsea, Mich

    Google Scholar 

  • Segura M, Moreno R, Martínez S, Pérez J, Moreno J (2001) Effects of wastewater irrigation on melon growth under greenhouse conditions. Acta Horticult 559:345–352. https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2001.559.51

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Siebe C, Cifuentes E (1995) Environmental impact of wastewater irrigation in central Mexico: an overview. Int J Environ Health Res 5:161–173

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sotirakou E, Kladitis G, Diamantis N, Grigoropoulou H (1999) Ammonia and phosphorus removal in municipal wastewater treatment plant with extended aeration. Global Nest: the Int J 1:47–53

    Google Scholar 

  • Vance E, Brookes P, Jenkinson D (1987) An extraction method for measuring soil microbial biomass C. Soil Biol Biochem 19:703–707

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Walkley A, Black IA (1934) An examination of the Degtjareff method for determining soil organic matter, and a proposed modification of the chromic acid titration method. Soil Sci 37(1):29–38

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wilke BM (2005) Determination of chemical and physical soil properties. In: Schinner F (ed) Margesin R. Springer, Monitoring and assessing soil bioremediation, pp 47–95

    Google Scholar 

  • Willis RB, Montgomery ME, Allen PR (1996) Improved method for manual, colorimetric determination of total Kjeldahl nitrogen using salicylate. J. Agric Food Chem 44:1804–1807

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

Thi Huong Xuan Le receives a postgraduate scholarship from Vietnamese International Education Development. We thank the SA Water Corporation for supplying the wastewater used in the experiment.

Funding

This study was funded by a postgraduate scholarship from Vietnamese International Education Development.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia

    Thi Huong Xuan Le & Petra Marschner

  2. Hue University of Agriculture and Forestry, Hue City, Vietnam

    Thi Huong Xuan Le & Dinh Thi Nguyen

  3. School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia

    Luke Mosley

Authors
  1. Thi Huong Xuan Le
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Luke Mosley
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Dinh Thi Nguyen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Petra Marschner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Petra Marschner.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Le, T.H.X., Mosley, L., Nguyen, D.T. et al. Effect of Short-term Irrigation of Wastewater on Wheat Growth and Nitrogen and Phosphorus in Soil. J Soil Sci Plant Nutr 20, 1589–1595 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-019-00122-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-019-00122-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation