ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Agricultural Valorization of Olive Mill Wastewater
in Arid Regions of Tunisia: Short-Term Impact
on Soil Biochemical Properties
and Faba Bean Growth
1 1 | Institut des Régions Arides Médenine, Laboatoire d'Érémologie et Lutte Contre la Désertification, 4119, Tunisia |
2 | Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, Jhansi, India |
3 | 284003Université de Sfax, École Nationale d'Ingénieurs de Sfax, Laboratoire de Génie de l’Environnement
et Ecotechnologie (GEET), Route de Soukra Km 4, Po. Box 1173, Sfax 3038, Tunisia |
4 | Indian Institute of Soil Sciences Bhopal, India |
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Submission date: 2020-01-23
Final revision date: 2020-06-06
Acceptance date: 2020-06-12
Online publication date: 2020-10-06
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
Physicochemical parametersPollutionTreatment and managementMethods for solid waste disposalContaminationMicrobiology
ABSTRACT
Olive mill wastewater (OMW) is generated seasonally a large amount during the olive oil production
in southern Tunisia and it is often discharged in the open environment. OMW has a high amount of
phototoxic compounds, high salinity and acidity and therefore is challenging when disposed on soil.
However, in southern Tunisia, the condition climatic is arid and semis-arid region. The soil sandy is in
degradation and erosion processes.
New strategies have been developed to reduce these impacts in soil and to valorize a waste product as olive mill wastewater (OMW) loaded with minerals and organic matters as fertilizer in agronomy. The major aim of this study was to investigate the effects of OMW spraying onto on soil biochemical properties and Faba bean crop productivity was investigated.
The result showed that the irrigation of sandy soils by different OMW doses strongly influenced their chemical and microbiological characteristics. Indeed, spreading amounts from 15 m3/ha to 45 m3/ha for three consecutive years induced a considerable improvement of soil fertility. The pH and soil phosphorus content remain stable during the three years of study, while the soil salinity was increased for the 45 m3/ha treatment where it exceeded to 6 dS/m.
In conclusions, the dose 15 m3/ha is suitable for the vegetative development of the Faba bean tested plant according to the soil characteristics evolution.
New strategies have been developed to reduce these impacts in soil and to valorize a waste product as olive mill wastewater (OMW) loaded with minerals and organic matters as fertilizer in agronomy. The major aim of this study was to investigate the effects of OMW spraying onto on soil biochemical properties and Faba bean crop productivity was investigated.
The result showed that the irrigation of sandy soils by different OMW doses strongly influenced their chemical and microbiological characteristics. Indeed, spreading amounts from 15 m3/ha to 45 m3/ha for three consecutive years induced a considerable improvement of soil fertility. The pH and soil phosphorus content remain stable during the three years of study, while the soil salinity was increased for the 45 m3/ha treatment where it exceeded to 6 dS/m.
In conclusions, the dose 15 m3/ha is suitable for the vegetative development of the Faba bean tested plant according to the soil characteristics evolution.
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