Acta Agriculturae Slovenica (Jan 2017)

Effect of irrigation with nutrient solutions mixed with treated wastewater on Asiatic lily ‘Brunello’ grown in a closed soilless culture

  • Ahmed Abdel-Nabi Al-Hammouri,
  • Khalid Al-Ghawanmeh,
  • Nabeel Bani Hani,
  • Nabeela Karam

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14720/aas.2017.109.1.03
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 109, no. 1

Abstract

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A plastic greenhouse study was implemented to evaluate the potential use of treated wastewater for irrigation of Asiatic lily ‘Brunello’ grown in zeolite. Plants received the following treatments: a nutrient solution (N) alone, (N) mixed with treated wastewater (W) at rates of 3N:1W, 1N:1W and 1N:3W respectively. A closed system was used in which the drain solution was circulated for several days until its electrical conductivity reached 2.3 dS m-1, after which fresh irrigation solutions were used to start a second cycle of circulation. The results indicated that plants irrigated with (N) or 3N:1W solution had the longest stems (34.4 and 36.2 cm) respectively, peduncles and buds (about 4.5 cm), and the greatest shoot (3.4 and 3.8 cm) and bud mass (14.95 and 17.6 g) respectively. Plants irrigated with 1N:3W solution had the highest dry mass tissue content of K (3.06 g kg -1) and B (35.5 mg kg-1). Plants irrigated with 1N:1W or 1N:3W were inferior to other plants. It can be concluded that 1N:3W mixture may be used for production of high quality cut flowers of lily. Moreover, it is expected to save 3.4 litres m-2 of a nutrient solution and 1850, 347 and 1870 mg m-2 day-1 for N, P, and K respectively.

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