Potential Use of Eucalyptus Seedling in Recycling of Fish Farming Wastewater in Agriculture

Abstract

Aims: The reuse of fish wastewater in agricultural activities such as the production of seedlings in commercial nurseries has great potential to minimize production costs and to reduce environmental impacts due to the inappropriate disposal of this waste. The objective of this study was to evaluate the growth, development and quality of Eucalyptus grandis W. Hill ex Maiden seedlings produced with different wastewater concentrations from fish farming. Study Design:  The fertigation treatments were using fish farming (Tilapia) wastewater from tanks (FW), daily nutrient solution (DNS), and the combinations of 50% FW + 50% DNS, and 25% DNS + 75% FW, applied daily. Place and Duration of Study: The experiment was carried out from August to December 2016 at the Federal University of Technology of Paraná, Brazil. Methodology: The macro and micronutrient contents in leaf tissue, seedling height, stem diameter, the largest root length, leaf area, fresh and dry shoot and root mass and Dickson quality index were all evaluated. Results: The nutrient contents present in the leaf tissue were adequate for the nutritional demand of the eucalyptus. The seedling quality index (DQI) indicated that the daily nutrient solution (0.21) and 50% FW + 50% DNS (0.20) generated balanced seedlings regarding height and biomass accumulation. Conclusion: Fertigation of eucalyptus seedlings can be carried out with wastewater from fish farming, but it is necessary to complement the fertilization with other nutrient sources to produce quality seedlings which are suitable for field transplantation.