Fiber Quality, Yield, and Profitability of Cotton in Response to Supplemental Irrigation with Treated Wastewater and NPK Fertilization

Abstract

Cotton yield under the rainfed farming system in tropical semi-arid regions is significantly decreased by prolonged dry spells. In this context, supplemental irrigation (SI) with treated wastewater emerges as a strategy for the sustainability of agricultural production besides contributing to the reduction of fertilizer costs. The objective of this research was to evaluate the productivity, photosynthetic parameters, fiber quality, and profitability of cotton cultivation, under supplemental irrigation (SI) with municipal treated wastewater (MTW), with and without mineral fertilization. The treatments consisted of three water scenarios (normal, drought, and severe drought), defined by the historical series of precipitation data of 30 years, and two treatments of supplemental irrigation with MTW, with or without NPK fertilization. SI with treated wastewater increased cotton yield in all three scenarios (normal, drought, and severe drought) by approximately 29%, 255%, and 251%. Longer dry spells in drought and severe drought scenarios increased the volume of SI with MTW, resulting in greater nutrient input to the soil, improved photosynthetic response, higher physical water productivity, reduction in fertilizer costs, and higher farmers’ income. Therefore, our results show the importance of using treated wastewater in supplemental irrigation of cotton under scenarios of water scarcity in tropical semi-arid regions.

Influence of Irrigation and Nitrogen Fertilization on the Growth and Yield of Cotton (Gossypium sp.)

“…Research has examined the significance of utilizing treated wastewater for supplementary cotton irrigation, particularly in scenarios of water scarcity in tropical semi-arid regions [65]. The application of treated wastewater for supplemental irrigation led to a substantial increase in cotton yield across all three scenarios: normal, drought, and severe drought, with improvements of approximately 29%, 255%, and 251% respectively.…”

Unexplored agronomic, socioeconomic and policy domains for sustainable cotton production on small landholdings: a systematic review

“…Modern cotton production incorporates a combination of traditional knowledge and advanced techniques to optimize yields while minimizing environmental impacts (AGOA, 2011;Arshad et al, 2022). Some key agronomic practices include variety selection, sowing, soil management, irrigation, fertilization, pest and disease management, weed control, harvesting, post-harvest processing, and sustainability initiatives (Arshad et al, 2022;De Araujo et al, 2022). Therefore, cotton production has evolved significantly over time, incorporating advanced agronomic practices to meet the demands of the textile industry while addressing environmental and social concerns.…”

Effect of the Sulfamethazine on Nitrogen Conversion in Alternate Wet and Dry Paddy Fields

“…In the meantime, unconventional water resources such as aquaculture wastewater contain the nitrogen and phosphorus required for crops. Therefore, the usage of unconventional water resources for irrigation has important prospects and significance in coping with water shortages [5].…”