Effects of Irrigation with Domestic Wastewater on Productivity of Green Chili and Soil Status

Experiments were designed to determine the effect of untreated wastewater (T1), phytoremediated wastewater (T2), and rainwater (T3) irrigation on Capsicum annuum and soil. Morphological parameters of plants and accumulation of metal and nutrients in crop and soil were studied. The biomass of C. annuum was greatest under T1 followed by T2 and T3. Root/shoot ratio decreased in the order T3 > T2 > T1 (P 0.05), indicating lengthening of roots under nutrient stress. There was a significant increase in the nutrient [nitrate (NO3 (-)), phosphate (PO4 (3-)), potassium (K+), magnesium (Mg++), and calcium (Ca++)] content of the soil after harvest under T1 and T2. The metal accumulated by the plant in g g(-1) of dry weight was in the order zinc (Zn) > copper (Cu) > chromium (Cr). The percentage accumulations of metals by the plant out of total applied were only 1-5% for Cr and Cu and 14% for Zn, and the remaining was left in the soil. There was no metal accumulation in fruits.