Short-term impact of wastewater irrigation on chemical soil health in tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa)

A field experiment was conducted to find out the short term impact of wastewater irrigation on chemical soil health in tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa L. cv. Prajwal) at WTC farm of ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi during three consecutive seasons (2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16). Treatments comprised of wastewater irrigation schedules (0.6, 0.8, 1.0, 1.2 and 1.4 ID: CPE), conjunctive use of groundwater and municipal wastewater (at 1.0 ID: CPE) and only groundwater irrigations (at 1.0 ID: CPE) were laid-out in randomized block design with three replication. Chemical parameters (pH, EC, OC), primary nutrients (N, P and K), micronutrients (Zn, Mn, Cu and Fe) and toxic heavy metals (Ni, Pb, Cd, Cr) contents in soil were analysed from collected soil samples at harvest of tuberose. Analytical results indicated that pH and EC were not altered while organic carbon, primary nutrients contents (N, P and K) and micro nutrients (Zn, Cu, Fe, Mn) content significantly increased in soils irrigated with wastewater. However, the contents of heavy metals in irrigated soil were not significantly altered with wastewater irrigation at 1.0 ID/CPE and same with groundwater irrigation. Wastewater irrigation had the positive impacts on soil chemical health in terms of enhanced level of organic matter, primary and micro nutrients contents in soil.