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CHEMICAL SOIL PROPERTIES UNDER COTTON USING SWINE WASTEWATER

The negative impacts of the increasing volume of wastewater and of its discharge into the environment have become a worldwide concern. This study assessed the potential impacts of using treated effluent from pig raising for cotton irrigation, to evaluate their effects on soil chemical properties, and compare the results with those under conventional management. The experiment was conducted in an experimental area of the Company for the Development of the San Francisco and Parnaiba valleys "Perimetro Irrigado Formoso", in Born Jesus da Lapa, State of Bahia. Five treatments were analyzed: MC - conventional management = irrigation with good water quality + chemical fertilizers; ET100= irrigation with 100 % treated effluent; ET75:25= 75 % treated effluent plus 25 % good-quality water; ET50:50 = 50 % treated effluent plus 50 % good-quality water; and ET25:75 = 25 % treated effluent plus 75 % good-quality water. The experiment was arranged in a randomized block design with four replications. The soil chemical properties studied were pH, electrical conductivity, and content of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Na, Zn, Fe, Mn, and Cu. In general, the effect of wastewater management on soil chemical properties was similar to MC, favoring the improvement of soil fertility, indicating swine wastewater as an alternative source of low-cost fertilizer. Treated effluent, regardless of the dilution factor, also proved to be an alternative water source.