Evaluation of the Productivity of Irrigated Eucalyptus grandis with Reclaimed Wastewater and Effects on Soil

The growing demand for new sources of water for irrigation has led to an increase in the practice of using treated wastewater in agricultural processes. Thus, in the present research, we have assessed the irrigation of a culture of eucalyptus with reclaimed wastewater. The sewage comes from domestic sources and was treated in a facultative lagoon. The culture of eucalyptus was assessed through plant diameter at breast height and total volume of wood produced. Soil contamination was determined through its salinization and the values of sodium adsorption ratio (SAR). The use of wastewater in irrigation has brought an increase of 82.9 % in productivity compared to traditional cultivation. This shows that in a same area of cultivation, practically double of the eucalyptus wood could be obtained and used in the most different industrial activities. In addition, it would prevent the entering of a large amount of nutrients in water bodies due to their recycling in the agricultural culture. In the period of 4 years of studies, SAR has always been below the values pointed by the literature as indicators of problems for the soil.