Quality of soil organic matter after reuse of treated sewage in the semiarid region
Sustainable development. Carbon stock. Agricultural consortium. Carbon in hot water. Carbon in potassium permanganate. Mulch.
Conservation management alternatives, such as mulching, intercropping with species adapted to edaphoclimatic conditions, and reusing treated sewage water, should be encouraged to ensure the socioeconomic development of the Brazilian semiarid region. Furthermore, disseminating these techniques should enable the global population to establish conditions for survival in the present without compromising future generations, in line with the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Carbon sequestration is one of the key factors for assessing soil quality, aiming to enhance the productivity potential of this region. The objective of this study was to evaluate the development of forage single cactus, intercropping with buffel grass and sorghum, and to determine the contents and stocks of labile and recalcitrant C in the soil in areas with 8 and 12 Mg ha-1 of mulching, irrigated with treated sewage water. This work was conducted at Fazenda Primavera, Parnamirim-PE, using different intercropping systems and water types (treated and river water) to quantify C contents and stocks in various compartments of soil organic matter (SOM), crop productivity, and carbon sensitivity index. Analyses of total carbon (TC), particulate carbon (PC), mineral-associated carbon (MAC), hot water-extracted carbon (C-aq H2O), and permanganate-extracted carbon (C-KMnO4), as well as their respective stocks, were performed. The main results showed that using 8 and 12 Mg ha-1 of mulching associated with irrigation using treated sewage water achieved higher productivity and carbon stocks (EstC), surpassing results from areas that did not use water reuse or adequate mulching rates. The use of intercropping favored higher productivity. The use of high mulching rates in the semiarid region also promoted greater microbial activity. Treated sewage water led to higher carbon stocks and crop productivity compared to river water. Therefore, it was demonstrated that, under semiarid conditions, conservation practices based on the use of treated sewage water in key crops are viable alternatives for promoting sustainable development in a region impacted by extreme climate events.