Abstract
Water scarcity and droughts are among the most challenging issues worldwide, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions like Saudi Arabia. Date palm ( Phoenix dactylifera L.), a major crop in Saudi Arabia, is being significantly affected by water scarcity, soil salinity, and desertification. Alternative water sources are needed to conserve freshwater resources and increase date palm production in Saudi Arabia. On the other hand, Saudi Arabia has a significant number of aquaculture farms that generate substantial amounts of wastewater, which can be utilized as an alternative source of irrigation. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the potential of aquaculture wastewater as an alternative irrigation source for date palm orchards. Aquaculture wastewater was collected from 12 different farms (Al-Kharj, Al-Muzahmiya, and Al-Qassim regions, Saudi Arabia) and its quality was analyzed. The impacts of aquaculture wastewater irrigation on soil quality, nutrient availability, nutrient status of date palm trees, and dates fruit quality were assessed in comparison to source water (freshwater) irrigation at Al-Kharj, Al-Muzahmiya, and Al-Qassim regions. The water quality analyses showed higher salinity (EC = 3.31 dSm −1 ) in farm Q3, while all other farms demonstrated no salinity, sodicity, or alkalinity hazards. Moreover, the aquaculture wastewater irrigation increased soil available P, K, NO 3 − –N, and NH 4 + –N by 49.31%, 21.11%, 33.62%, and 52.31%, respectively, compared to source water irrigation. On average, date palm fruit weight, length, and moisture contents increased by 26%, 23%, and 43% under aquaculture wastewater irrigation compared to source water irrigation. Further, P, K, Fe, Cu, and Zn contents in date palm leaf were increased by 19.35%, 34.17%, 37.36%, 38.24%, and 45.29%, respectively, under aquaculture wastewater irrigation compared to source water irrigation. Overall, aquaculture wastewater irrigation significantly enhanced date palm plant growth, date palm fruit quality, and soil available nutrients compared to freshwater irrigation. It was concluded that aquaculture wastewater can be used as an effective irrigation source for date palm farms as it enhances soil nutrient availability, date palm growth, and date fruit yield and quality. The findings of this study suggest that aquaculture wastewater could be a viable alternative for conserving freshwater resources and increase date palm production in Saudi Arabia.
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Claims 16
Claim · model-written summary
Aquaculture wastewater irrigation increased soil available phosphorus by 49.31% relative to source water irrigation.
- Taxon
- Date palm
Phoenix dactyliferae2 - Treatment
- aquaculture wastewater irrigatione1
- Outcome
- soil availablee1
- Direction
- increasede1
- Value
- 49.31%e1
- Qualifier
- Pe1
- Comparator
- source water irrigatione1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“the aquaculture wastewater irrigation increased soil available P, K, NO 3 − –N, and NH 4 + –N by 49.31%, 21.11%, 33.62%, and 52.31%, respectively, compared to source water irrigation”
e2“Date palm ( Phoenix dactylifera L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Aquaculture wastewater irrigation increased soil available potassium by 21.11% relative to source water irrigation.
- Taxon
- Date palmPhoenix dactyliferae2
- Treatment
- aquaculture wastewater irrigatione1
- Outcome
- soil availablee1
- Direction
- increasede1
- Value
- 21.11%e1
- Qualifier
- Ke1
- Comparator
- source water irrigatione1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“the aquaculture wastewater irrigation increased soil available P, K, NO 3 − –N, and NH 4 + –N by 49.31%, 21.11%, 33.62%, and 52.31%, respectively, compared to source water irrigation”
e2“Date palm ( Phoenix dactylifera L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Aquaculture wastewater irrigation increased soil available nitrate nitrogen by 33.62% relative to source water irrigation.
- Taxon
- Date palmPhoenix dactyliferae2
- Treatment
- aquaculture wastewater irrigatione1
- Outcome
- soil availablee1
- Direction
- increasede1
- Value
- 33.62%e1
- Qualifier
- NO 3 − –Ne1
- Comparator
- source water irrigatione1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“the aquaculture wastewater irrigation increased soil available P, K, NO 3 − –N, and NH 4 + –N by 49.31%, 21.11%, 33.62%, and 52.31%, respectively, compared to source water irrigation”
e2“Date palm ( Phoenix dactylifera L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Aquaculture wastewater irrigation increased soil available ammonium nitrogen by 52.31% relative to source water irrigation.
- Taxon
- Date palmPhoenix dactyliferae2
- Treatment
- aquaculture wastewater irrigatione1
- Outcome
- soil availablee1
- Direction
- increasede1
- Value
- 52.31%e1
- Qualifier
- NH 4 + –Ne1
- Comparator
- source water irrigatione1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“the aquaculture wastewater irrigation increased soil available P, K, NO 3 − –N, and NH 4 + –N by 49.31%, 21.11%, 33.62%, and 52.31%, respectively, compared to source water irrigation”
e2“Date palm ( Phoenix dactylifera L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Aquaculture wastewater irrigation increased date palm fruit weight by 26% relative to source water irrigation.
- Taxon
- Date palmPhoenix dactyliferae2
- Organ / stage
- fruite1
- Treatment
- aquaculture wastewater irrigatione1
- Outcome
- fruit weighte1
- Direction
- increasede1
- Value
- 26%e1
- Comparator
- source water irrigatione1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“On average, date palm fruit weight, length, and moisture contents increased by 26%, 23%, and 43% under aquaculture wastewater irrigation compared to source water irrigation”
e2“Date palm ( Phoenix dactylifera L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Aquaculture wastewater irrigation increased date palm fruit length by 23% relative to source water irrigation.
- Taxon
- Date palmPhoenix dactyliferae2
- Organ / stage
- fruite1
- Treatment
- aquaculture wastewater irrigatione1
- Outcome
- lengthe1
- Direction
- increasede1
- Value
- 23%e1
- Comparator
- source water irrigatione1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“On average, date palm fruit weight, length, and moisture contents increased by 26%, 23%, and 43% under aquaculture wastewater irrigation compared to source water irrigation”
e2“Date palm ( Phoenix dactylifera L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Aquaculture wastewater irrigation increased date palm fruit moisture content by 43% relative to source water irrigation.
- Taxon
- Date palmPhoenix dactyliferae2
- Organ / stage
- fruite1
- Treatment
- aquaculture wastewater irrigatione1
- Outcome
- moisture contentse1
- Direction
- increasede1
- Value
- 43%e1
- Comparator
- source water irrigatione1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“On average, date palm fruit weight, length, and moisture contents increased by 26%, 23%, and 43% under aquaculture wastewater irrigation compared to source water irrigation”
e2“Date palm ( Phoenix dactylifera L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Aquaculture wastewater irrigation increased leaf phosphorus content of date palm by 19.35% relative to source water irrigation.
- Taxon
- Date palmPhoenix dactyliferae2
- Organ / stage
- leafe1
- Treatment
- aquaculture wastewater irrigatione1
- Outcome
- contentse1
- Direction
- increasede1
- Value
- 19.35%e1
- Qualifier
- Pe1
- Comparator
- source water irrigatione1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“P, K, Fe, Cu, and Zn contents in date palm leaf were increased by 19.35%, 34.17%, 37.36%, 38.24%, and 45.29%, respectively, under aquaculture wastewater irrigation compared to source water irrigation”
e2“Date palm ( Phoenix dactylifera L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Aquaculture wastewater irrigation increased leaf potassium content of date palm by 34.17% relative to source water irrigation.
- Taxon
- Date palmPhoenix dactyliferae2
- Organ / stage
- leafe1
- Treatment
- aquaculture wastewater irrigatione1
- Outcome
- contentse1
- Direction
- increasede1
- Value
- 34.17%e1
- Qualifier
- Ke1
- Comparator
- source water irrigatione1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“P, K, Fe, Cu, and Zn contents in date palm leaf were increased by 19.35%, 34.17%, 37.36%, 38.24%, and 45.29%, respectively, under aquaculture wastewater irrigation compared to source water irrigation”
e2“Date palm ( Phoenix dactylifera L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Aquaculture wastewater irrigation increased leaf iron content of date palm by 37.36% relative to source water irrigation.
- Taxon
- Date palmPhoenix dactyliferae2
- Organ / stage
- leafe1
- Treatment
- aquaculture wastewater irrigatione1
- Outcome
- contentse1
- Direction
- increasede1
- Value
- 37.36%e1
- Qualifier
- Fee1
- Comparator
- source water irrigatione1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“P, K, Fe, Cu, and Zn contents in date palm leaf were increased by 19.35%, 34.17%, 37.36%, 38.24%, and 45.29%, respectively, under aquaculture wastewater irrigation compared to source water irrigation”
e2“Date palm ( Phoenix dactylifera L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Aquaculture wastewater irrigation increased leaf copper content of date palm by 38.24% relative to source water irrigation.
- Taxon
- Date palmPhoenix dactyliferae2
- Organ / stage
- leafe1
- Treatment
- aquaculture wastewater irrigatione1
- Outcome
- contentse1
- Direction
- increasede1
- Value
- 38.24%e1
- Qualifier
- Cue1
- Comparator
- source water irrigatione1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“P, K, Fe, Cu, and Zn contents in date palm leaf were increased by 19.35%, 34.17%, 37.36%, 38.24%, and 45.29%, respectively, under aquaculture wastewater irrigation compared to source water irrigation”
e2“Date palm ( Phoenix dactylifera L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Aquaculture wastewater irrigation increased leaf zinc content of date palm by 45.29% relative to source water irrigation.
- Taxon
- Date palmPhoenix dactyliferae2
- Organ / stage
- leafe1
- Treatment
- aquaculture wastewater irrigatione1
- Outcome
- contentse1
- Direction
- increasede1
- Value
- 45.29%e1
- Qualifier
- Zne1
- Comparator
- source water irrigatione1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“P, K, Fe, Cu, and Zn contents in date palm leaf were increased by 19.35%, 34.17%, 37.36%, 38.24%, and 45.29%, respectively, under aquaculture wastewater irrigation compared to source water irrigation”
e2“Date palm ( Phoenix dactylifera L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Aquaculture wastewater irrigation significantly enhanced date palm plant growth, fruit quality and soil available nutrients relative to freshwater irrigation.
- Taxon
- Date palmPhoenix dactyliferae2
- Treatment
- aquaculture wastewater irrigatione1
- Outcome
- plant growth, date palm fruit quality, and soil available nutrientse1
- Direction
- enhancede1
- Comparator
- freshwater irrigatione1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Overall, aquaculture wastewater irrigation significantly enhanced date palm plant growth, date palm fruit quality, and soil available nutrients compared to freshwater irrigation”
e2“Date palm ( Phoenix dactylifera L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Farm Q3 wastewater showed higher salinity (EC 3.31 dS/m) than the other farms.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e1“The water quality analyses showed higher salinity (EC = 3.31 dSm −1 ) in farm Q3”
Claim · model-written summary
All other farms wastewater showed no salinity, sodicity or alkalinity hazards.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e1“while all other farms demonstrated no salinity, sodicity, or alkalinity hazards”
Claim · model-written summary
Aquaculture wastewater can be used as an effective irrigation source for date palm farms.
- Taxon
- date palmPhoenix dactyliferae1
- Outcome
- effective irrigation sourcee1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“aquaculture wastewater can be used as an effective irrigation source for date palm farms”
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Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.