Agronomic performance of colored cotton influenced by irrigation with treated domestic sewage and potassium fertilization in semi-arid region of Brazil

Abstract

This study evaluated the contribution of potassium (K) nutrition and application of wastewater depths to the agronomic performance of colored cotton. Treatments consisted of five irrigation depths (50, 75, 100, 125 and 150% of crop evapotranspiration-ETC) and five K doses (0, 50, 100, 150 and 200% of the recommendation for the crop) and an absolute control irrigated with 100% ETC water depth and fertilized with 100% N-P-K recommendation. Each treatment and the control had four replicates. Plant height, stem diameter, leaf area and shoot dry matter accumulation of cotton were evaluated at 130 days after emergence (DAE), whereas seed cotton weight was evaluated at 135 DAE. Our findings indicate that the use of treated domestic sewage for 100% ETC replacement promotes greater gains of weight and growth in colored cotton without the need for K fertilization, evidencing the potential of wastewater for colored cotton for sustainable agriculture.