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92
04.2
2014
ABSTRACT
The performance and suitability of tertiary treated wastewater (TW) and/or fertigation (F) in pepper
plants were studied over a 4-month period in greenhouse conditions. Four treatments were used
consisting of (1) water, (2) water F, (3) TW, and (4) TW F. The F and/or TW application increased
plant height and plant biomass compared with the control plants (irrigated with water) while no
differences were observed in the number of leaves produced. Plants grown with TW F were thicker
than control plants. The addition of F increased fruit number in both water and TW, which resulted in
increased plant yield and fruit marketability for the water application but decreased mean fruit
weight for TW application. The application of TW increased fruit total soluble solids but decreased
fruit rmness whereas adding F, these changes were normalized. The F and/or TW application
reduced fruit total phenolics, fruit acidity, and fruit length but not fruit diameter. No differences were
observed in fruit dry matter content, fruit color/lightness (a, b, and L value). Bacteria (total coliform
Eleni Dagianta
Dimitrios Goumas
Thrassyvoulos Manios
Nikos Tzortzakis
Department of Organic Greenhouse Crops and
Floriculture,
School of Agricultural Technology,
Technological Educational Institute of Crete,
Heraklion,
Greece
Nikos Tzortzakis (corresponding author)
Department of Agricultural Sciences,
Biotechnology and Food Science,
Cyprus University of Technology,
3603 Limassol,
Cyprus
E-mail: nikolaos.tzortzakis@cut.ac.cy
and Escherichia coli) units on the fruits did not differ among the treatments. The results indicate that
wastewater may act as an alternative means of irrigation if following strict safety aspects while the
fertigation acted benecially.
Key words
INTRODUCTION
In recent years, the use of marginal-quality water for crop irri-
doi: 10.2166/wrd.2014.048
93
E. Dagianta et al.
04.2
2014
Experimental design
(Kiziloglu et al. ).
94
E. Dagianta et al.
04.2
2014
Measurements
(spectrophotometrically),
total
(Kjeldahl
method),
tic bags (one fruit per bag), which were then lled with
Fruit fresh weight, dry matter content (%), and fruit size
E. coli) units.
Statistical analysis
24 C) temperature.
Data were tested for normality and then subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA). Signicant differences between
95
E. Dagianta et al.
04.2
2014
were
observed
in
leaf
uorescence
among
Soil properties
pattern as the number of the produced owers (data not presented), implying that there was no ower absorption that
Figure 1
Effects of fertigation (F) and/or TW into soil on plant height and leaf number produced of greenhouse pepper crop. Values represent mean (SE) of measurements made on six
plants per treatment.
E. Dagianta et al.
96
Figure 2
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2014
Effects of fertigation (F) and/or TW into soil on stem thickness and fruit number produced of greenhouse pepper crop. Values represent mean (SE) of measurements made on
six plants per treatment.
Table 1
Effects of fertigation (F) and/or TW into soil on yield (g/plant), upper biomass fresh fruit (g/plant) and upper biomass dry matter (%) in greenhouse pepper crop
Yield (g/plant)
Fruit no
Water
221.75 ba
57.86 ba
47.12 aa
2.12 bb
100.66 ab
8.55 ab
Water F
327.61 a
68.61 a
41.71 b
2.88 a
121.14 a
7.63 a
TW
248.87 b
73.11 a
47.44 a
2.52 ab
104.60 a
5.71 a
TW F
235.45 b
79.31 a
37.74 c
3.63 a
67.72 b
6.99 a
Values (n 6) in columns followed by the same letter are not signicantly different. P < 0.05.
Values (n 23) in columns followed by the same letter are not signicantly different. P < 0.05.
fruits) (Table 2). In detail, the greatest fruit length was observed
yield as well as N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Na, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Pb,
water.
E. Dagianta et al.
97
Table 2
04.2
2014
Effects of fertigation (F) and/or TW into soil on fruit size (length and diameter in mm), fruit rmness (N) and fruit color (L, a, and b values), fruit marketability on 14 scale (1: extra
quality; 2: good quality; 3: medium quality; and 4: not marketable quality) in greenhouse pepper crop
Water
Fruit color
Length
Diameter
Fruit rmness
Marketability
7.31 a
6.77 a
4.40 a
33.69 b
10.81 a
14.37 a
2.00 b
Water F
5.75 b
6.31 a
4.40 a
34.16 b
10.57 a
13.62 a
2.55 a
TW
4.84 c
6.53 a
3.16 b
37.02 a
10.62 a
14.22 a
2.21 ab
TW F
5.43 b
5.82 a
4.36 a
34.44 b
9.55 a
13.21 a
2.36 ab
Values (n 23) in columns followed by the same letter are not signicantly different. P < 0.05.
Table 3
Effects of fertigation (F) and/or TW into soil on TSS (TSS: Brix), titratable acidity (TA: (% citric acid)), sweetness (TSS/TA), pH, EC (mS/cm), and total phenols (gallic acid equivalent:
GAE/ 100 g fwt) in greenhouse pepper crop
TSS
TA
TSS/TA
pH
EC
Total phenols
Water
3.26 b
4.68 a
0.79 c
5.30 a
1.78 a
296.91 a
Water F
3.20 b
3.09 b
1.13 b
5.30 a
1.48 a
184.57 c
TW
3.76 a
3.10 b
1.28 a
5.11 b
1.62 a
263.15 b
TW F
3.53 b
3.52 b
1.01 b
5.38 a
2.01 a
186.61 c
Values (n 23) in columns followed by the same letter are not signicantly different. P < 0.05.
signicantly.
Table 4
Effects of fertigation (F) and/or TW into bacteria (total coliform and E. coli) units
(CFU/100 g fruit fwt) on the fruits as well as in the soil (CFU/100 g soil) in green-
Fruits
Total
Escherichia
Total
Escherichia
coliform
coli
coliform
coli
Soil
Water
3.81 a
0.00 a
Water F
4.48 a
0.56 a
420 b
40 a
TW
5.82 a
0.00 a
5352 a
51 a
TW F
7.26 a
0.95 a
8005 a
50 a
93 c
66 a
Values (n 23) in columns followed by the same letter are not signicantly different. P <
0.05.
E. Dagianta et al.
98
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This work was funded by the Greek National Research
program XM EOX: EL0031.
04.2
2014
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First received 27 October 2013; accepted in revised form 9 December 2013. Available online 2 January 2014