Reuse water in the gladiolus cultivation in hydroponic system

Abstract

The use of treated wastewater is an alternative to reduce the amount water needed to irrigate agriculture. At the same time, the consumption of food produced with use of treated effluent is still a cultural obstacle, so, the cultivation of flowers and ornamental plants is an alternative. This study aimed at assessing the development of gladiolus in hydroponic system using treated reuse water in the Center of Agricultural Sciences of the Federal University of São Carlos. The experimental design was randomized blocks with three treatments and four replications: water supply + fertilizers (TAF), reuse water + fertilizers (TRF) and only reuse water (TR). Plant height (AP), number of leaves per plant (NFP), inflorescence stem length (CH), number of flower buds per stem (NBF) and diameter of petals (SD) were evaluated. Reuse water can be used for gladiolus cultivation in hydroponic system. Results obtained in TRF for the development of the culture and quality of flowers were similar to those of TAF. The use of TR alone is not indicated for gladiolus cultivation in hydroponic system, once the plants died before flowering.