Mineral content of three olive cultivars irrigated with treated industrial wastewater

The reuse of saline treated industrial wastewater generated by textile firms mixed with municipal domestic effluent for irrigation was used to asses its effect on the mineral content of three olive (Olea europaea L.) cultivars under greenhouse and field conditions during two complete vegetative cycles. Chemical analysis of the treated wastewater indicated that the element concentrations fall within the permissible range of irrigation water used for plants. However, little impermissible accumulation of Na and Mg higher than the recommended maximum concentration was observed. Irrigation water with six electrical conductivities (EC=0.78, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0 and 5.0dSm⁻¹ in treatments T₀, T₁, T₂, T₃, T₄, T₅, respectively) were compared in the greenhouse experiment. The olive trees in the field experiment were trickle irrigated with potable water and treated wastewater (average EC=4.2dSm⁻¹). The results of the greenhouse experiment showed that leaf N, Cu, Mn, Fe, Pb, and Na contents increased with increasing salinity of the treated wastewater. This increase was accompanied with a decrease in K and Mg contents. Leaf Ca and Cl concentrations were not considerably affected. Ion analysis in roots indicated that the contents of P, Na, Cl, Mn, and Pb increased while K decreased as treated wastewater salinity increased. Consequently, in most cases T₄ and T₅ gave a highly significant increase or decrease in accumulation of the previously mentioned minerals. A considerable variation in the studied cultivars was noticed. 'Nabali' was considered the most tolerant cultivar for the high salinity levels of the treated wastewater; its transporting selectivity of Na from root to leaf was higher and more Na was retained in the roots. Tissue analysis of leaves indicated that the element concentrations were within the adequate levels except those of Fe in 'Nabali' and 'Manzanillo', Na in 'Improved Nabali' and Cu in 'Nabali' and 'Manzanillo'. In view of these findings, the negligible accumulation of minerals in leaves and roots indicated that this kind of textile effluent can be used as a valid alternative for irrigation of olive orchards with continuous monitoring of mineral levels.