Treated municipal wastewater as option to the use of fresh water for the cultivation of valuable pastoral species Buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaris L.)

Abstract

The increasing aridity exacerbated by climatic changes is leading to loss of perennial herbaceous plants Cenchrus ciliaris, an apomictic, polyploid grass used as forage in hot and dry areas, and is currently under threat for the increased scarcity of water. In this study, treated municipal wastewater (TWW) was used to irrigate two ploidy levels of C. ciliaris for two consecutive years. The objectives were (1) to assess the possibility of using unconventional water for watering C. ciliaris and (2) to identify at what extent TWW irrigation affected growth and nutritive properties of C. ciliaris that differed for polyploidy level. TWW irrigation positively affected growth and physiological plant parameters. In leaves of TWW watered C. ciliaris, the concentration of Nt, P and K significantly increased. The tetraploid C. ciliaris showed a better growth and quality than the hexaploid ones, appearing the most suitable cultivar to be irrigated with TWW for feed uses. In short, TWW can be strategically used for irrigating forage species with the double output of ameliorating soil properties, recovering degraded area and improving the nutritive values of fodder species contributing to the promotion of a green and sustainable circular economy, more in climatically under pressure developing countries.