SOIL CHEMICAL PROPERTIES IN BANANA CROPS FERTIGATED WITH TREATED WASTEWATER

Abstract

Determining the effects of using wastewater as fertilizer on soil chemical properties allows a safe reuse of this effluent in agriculture. This study evaluated the effects of fertigation with tertiary treated wastewater (TTW) from the Janaúba sewage treatment plant on chemical properties of a Latosol (Oxisol) with banana crops of the Prata-Anã cultivar in the semiarid region of Brazil. A randomized complete block design with four replications was used to test four TTW rates (70%, 130%, 170%, and 200% of the limit of 150 kg ha^-1 year^-1 of Na that can be applied to the soil) and compare them to a control without TTW. Soil samples from the 0.0-0.2, 0.2-0.4, 0.4-0.6, and 0.6-0.8 m layers were collected at the end of the first crop cycle to evaluate soil chemical properties—pH, soil organic matter (SOM), P, K, Na, Ca, Mg, Al, potential acidity (H+Al), base saturation, B, Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn, remaining P, and electrical conductivity (EC). The use of TTW increases soil pH and decreases exchangeable Al content, thus, reduces the need for liming. However, Na contents increased faster than EC in the soil, indicating that the use of TTW tends to alter soil physical properties over time. The use of TTW had no effect on the soil OM, P, Ca, Mg, and micronutrients contents, potential acidity, and base saturation. The changes in soil chemical attributes observed at the end of the first crop cycle were not limiting to the banana crop.