Speaker
Description
The reuse of treated wastewater (TWW) for irrigation has emerged as a sustainable alternative in water-scarce regions, offering both water conservation and nutrient recycling. Simultaneously, biochar amendment has shown potential to improve soil structure, nutrient retention, and crop productivity. This study investigates the combined effect of treated wastewater irrigation and different biochar application rates (0%, 2.5%, 5%, 10%, and 25%) on tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) cultivation under controlled pot conditions.
Irrigation water and soil substrates were regularly analyzed for key physicochemical and microbiological parameters, including pH, electrical conductivity, organic carbon, total nitrogen, salinity, magnesium, calcium, and the presence of fecal indicator bacteria. Plant response was assessed through various morphological and physiological indicators such as plant height, stem diameter, stomatal conductance, photosystem II activity, flowering period, and fruit yield.
The results demonstrated that the integration of biochar with treated wastewater significantly enhanced tomato growth and productivity compared to control treatments irrigated with well water. Improvements were observed in soil nutrient content—particularly total Kjeldahl nitrogen, organic carbon, and available phosphorus—as well as in plant chlorophyll concentration and photosynthetic efficiency.
These findings highlight the synergistic benefits of using biochar and treated wastewater, which together create a nutrient-enriched, moisture-retentive, and alkaline environment conducive to tomato cultivation. The combined approach supports sustainable agriculture by reducing dependency on chemical fertilizers and conserving freshwater resources.
