Effects of wastewater applied with discrete irrigation techniques on strawberry plants’ productivity and the safety, quality characteristics and antioxidant capacity of fruits (original) (raw)

2016, Agricultural Water Management

Water scarcity renders wastewater (WW) reuse for irrigation an increasingly common practice world-wide. Comprehensive guidelines and criteria have been established to secure the safety of WW irrigation,especially for food crops or crops that are eaten raw. The aim of this short-term study was to assess theimpacts of strawberry crop irrigation with tertiary treated wastewater (WW) using common irrigationtechniques (Drip, sprinkler, drip under plastic mulch), as compared to potable water (PW) irrigation, onstrawberry fruits’ quality and safety, and on crops’ productivity. The impacts on fruits’ weight and mar-ketability, as well as on fruits’ taste (soluble solids, titratable acidity and soluble solids/titratable acidityratio), antioxidant capacity (ascorbic acid concentration, FRAP, total phenolics and total anthocyanincontent), heavy metal content (Cu, Zn, Mn, Co, Ni) and microbial contamination (total coliform, E. coli,Salmonella spp., Listeria spp), were evaluated. The results revealed that WW irrigation did not signifi-cantly affect the fruits’ marketability, taste and antioxidant capacity, as well as the heavy metal content,in comparison to controlled irrigation, regardless of the irrigation technique applied. Fruits heavy metalcontent was found to be below the maximum permissible levels (MPLs) set for fruit safety, whereas nomicrobiological contamination (total coliform, E. coli, Salmonella spp., Listeria spp.) of fruits was foundin all irrigation water treatments. Overall, the results obtained with regard to the parameters exam-ined highlight the potential for the reuse of the advanced tertiary treated effluent of good quality as avalid alternative for the irrigation of strawberry crops, even with sprinklers. However, further long-termstudies are needed in order for such a practice to be regulated.