Soil Fertility and Essential Oil Production in Citronella Cultivation Irrigated With Dairy Cattle Wastewater (Dcw)

Abstract

<p><strong>Background.</strong><strong> </strong>Due to the negative impacts caused by the inadequate disposal of dairy cattle wastewater (DCW), alternatives are needed to reduce the environmental impact. <strong>Objective.</strong> The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of applying DCW via fertigation on the physical and chemical characteristics of the soil and on the production of citronella essential oil (<em>Cymbopogon nardus</em> (L.) Rendle). <strong>Methodology.</strong><strong> </strong>Nitrogen (N) was adopted as a reference element and DCW equivalent amount to be applied so as to replace this element was calculated. Doses equivalent to 100%, 200%, 300% and 400% of the recommended N concentration were applied. After six months of cultivation, the availability of nutrients for the soil and its relationship to the production of essential oil were evaluated. <strong>Results</strong><strong>. </strong>The results showed that DCW supply for citronella cultivation was effective and, in most parameters, equivalent to the treatment with mineral fertilization. Besides, there was no significant difference between the treatments, regarding the quantity and quality of essential oil production. <strong>Implications</strong>: DCW does not increase the yield of essential oil, but it is an excellent alternative for the supply of nutrients in degraded soils.<strong> </strong><strong>Conclusions. </strong>Therefore, DCW use for fertigation of citronella cultivation is a valid alternative, helping to mitigate the impacts related to its disposal. However, new studies with a longer evaluation period and other types of soil are suggested.</p>

Potential use of treated wastewater from a cattle operation in the fertigation of organic carrots

“…Note that the pH is in the neutral range, the electrical conductivity and the adsorption of sodium do not represent a risk of soil sodification, although it should be used judiciously due to the sodium content. This low electrical conductivity (2.36), when compared with that in untreated DCW (14.00), was high when used by Hamacher et al (2021) in citronella cultivation. These authors also found a difference in the amount of sodium, in contrast to this study, comprising, respectively, 1.18 and 16.88 mg L −1 .…”

“…The blades necessary for the application of the different doses of nitrogen (N) recommended to the cultures, supplied through the fertigation with the effluent generated by the pilot unit (PTU), were calculated adapting the method described by Matos (2006), Brazilian Society of Soil Science (SBCS, 2004), and EMBRAPA (2013b) according to Equation 1, seeking out to replicate the conditions outlined by Erthal et al (2010) and Hamacher et al (2019Hamacher et al ( , 2021 with respect to the final volume applied, 70% water without chlorine was mixed with 30% fresh manure to prepare the WTC used in the experiment.…”