Water reuse of treated domestic wastewater in agriculture: Effects on tomato plants, soil nutrient availability and microbial community structure

Abstract

The reuse of treated wastewater (TWW) in agriculture for crop irrigation is desirable. Crop responses to irrigation with TWW depend on the characteristics of TWW and on intrinsic and extrinsic soil properties. The aim of this study was to assess the response of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) cultivated in five different soils to irrigation with TWW, compared to tap water (TAP) and an inorganic NPK solution (IFW). In addition, since soil microbiota play many important roles in plant growth, a metataxonomic analysis was performed to reveal the prokaryotic community structures of TAP, TWW and IFW treated soil, respectively. A 56-days pot experiment was carried out. Plant biometric parameters, and chemical, biochemical and microbiological properties of different soils were investigated. Shoot and root dry and fresh weights, as well as plant height, were the highest in plants irrigated with IFW followed by those irrigated with TWW, and finally with TAP water. Plant biometric parameters were positively affected by soil total organic carbon (TOC) and nitrogen (TN). Electrical conductivity was increased by TWW and IFW, being such an increase proportional to clay and TOC. Soil available P was not affected by TWW, whereas mineral N increased following their application. Total microbial biomass, as well as, main microbial groups were positively affected by TOC and TN, and increased according to the following order: IFW > TWW > TAP. However, the fungi-to-bacteria ratio was lowered in soil irrigated with TWW because of its adverse effect on fungi. The germicidal effect of sodium hypochlorite on soil microorganisms was affected by soil pH. Nutrients supplied by TWW are not sufficient to meet the whole nutrients requirement of tomato, thus integration by fertilization is required. Bacteria were more stimulated than fungi by TWW, thus leading to a lower fungi-to-bacteria ratio. Interestingly, IFW and TWW treatment led to an increased abundance of Proteobacteria and Acidobacteria phyla and Balneimonas, Rubrobacter, and Steroidobacter genera. This soil microbiota structure modulation paralleled a general decrement of fungi versus bacteria abundance ratio, the increment of electrical conductivity and nitrogen content of soil and an improvement of tomato growth. Finally, the potential adverse effect of TWW added with sodium chloride on soil microorganisms depends on soil pH.

Keywords: Ester-linked fatty acids; Irrigation water quality; Metagenomic analysis; Nutrient availability; Tomato biometric parameters; bacteria; fungi.