Fertilizer Savings with Treated Wastewater

USING TREATED WASTEWATER REDUCES FERTILIZER USE BY 40%

Dr. Mercedes Borja Bravo, a researcher at the Pabellón Experimental Field, belonging to the North Central Regional Research Center (CIRNOC) of the National Institute of Forestry, Agricultural and Livestock Research (INIFAP), indicated that Treated Wastewater (TWW) comes from productive processes or human consumption, which have been subjected to individual or combined physical, chemical, and biological processes in order to eliminate water contaminants, making it suitable for reuse, replacing first-use water in the irrigation of various crops.

With the use of TWW in agriculture, the use of fertilizers is reduced by up to 40%, which would imply annual savings of 4.6 million pesos for producers, through an increase of 71.8% of the current irrigated area, with the production of walnut, alfalfa, corn, oats, sorghum, beans, and pastures in the Tabalaopa-Aldama, Chihuahua area.

The researcher emphasized that the technological packages for crops with treated water must first be validated for the region, in addition to a training and technical assistance program for the production of crops with TWW, since it has been proven that they are suitable for irrigation and comply with current Mexican and international regulations.