Effect of irrigation using diluted winery wastewater on the chemical status of a sandy alluvial soil, with particular reference to potassium and sodium
Date
2018
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
South African Society for Enology and Viticulture
Abstract
The re-use of winery wastewater for irrigation was investigated in a field trial with micro-sprinklerirrigated
Cabernet Sauvignon/99 Richter in the Breede River Valley region of South Africa. Irrigation
with winery wastewater diluted with river water to 100, 250, 500, 1 000, 1 500, 2 000, 2 500 and 3 000 mg/L
chemical oxygen demand (COD) was compared to irrigation with river water. No trends were found in
soil pH(KCl) and electrical conductivity of the saturated soil extract (ECe ) that were related to the different
levels of dilution. However, ECe was considerably higher after the application of diluted winery wastewater
irrigations compared to ECe at bud break. This suggests an accumulation of salts from the diluted winery
wastewater. Under the prevailing conditions, soil K+ and Na+ increased with a decrease in the dilution
of the winery wastewater. Increases in K+ could have a negative impact on wine colour stability should
potassium be taken up by the grapevine in sufficient quantities, particularly if soil K+ accumulates to such
an extent that it is luxuriously absorbed by grapevines. There were no consistent trends with regard to
soil organic C, which indicates that there was too little organic material in the wastewater to have had a
positive effect on soil fertility. Furthermore, organic material in the wastewater probably oxidised when
the soil was aerated between irrigations. Although irrigation with diluted winery wastewater had almost
no other effects, element accumulation, particularly with respect to K+ and Na+, might be more prominent
in heavier soils or in regions with low winter rainfall.
Description
CITATION: Howell, C. L. 2018. Effect of irrigation using diluted winery wastewater on the chemical status of a sandy alluvial soil, with particular reference to potassium and sodium. South African Journal of Enology and Viticulture, 39(2):284-296., doi:10.21548/39-2-3171.
The original publication is available at https://www.journals.ac.za/index.php/sajev
The original publication is available at https://www.journals.ac.za/index.php/sajev
Keywords
Winery wastewater, Cabernet (Wine) -- South Africa, Water reuse -- Irrigation -- South Africa, Sprinkler irrigation, Water quality management, Soil management, Chemical oxygen demand
Citation
Howell, C. L. 2018. Effect of irrigation using diluted winery wastewater on the chemical status of a sandy alluvial soil, with particular reference to potassium and sodium. South African Journal of Enology and Viticulture, 39(2):284-296., doi:10.21548/39-2-3171.