IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v16y2023i1p315-d1309866.html

Pretreated Agro-Industrial Effluents as a Source of Nutrients for Tomatoes Grown in a Dual Function Hydroponic System: Tomato Quality Assessment

Author

Listed:
  • Alexandra Afonso

    (Department of Applied Sciences and Technologies, Escola Superior Agrária de Beja, Instituto Politécnico de Beja, 7800-309 Beja, Portugal
    Fiber Materials and Environmental Technologies (FibEnTech-UBI), Universidade da Beira Interior, R. Marquês D’Ávila e Bolama, 6201-001 Covilhã, Portugal)

  • Carlos Ribeiro

    (Department of Applied Sciences and Technologies, Escola Superior Agrária de Beja, Instituto Politécnico de Beja, 7800-309 Beja, Portugal)

  • Maria João Carvalho

    (Department of Applied Sciences and Technologies, Escola Superior Agrária de Beja, Instituto Politécnico de Beja, 7800-309 Beja, Portugal
    MARE–Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, CETEMARES–Marine Sciences R&D, Education and Knowledge Dissemination Centre, Polytechnic Institute of Leiria, Av. Porto de Pesca, 2520-630 Peniche, Portugal)

  • Tânia Correia

    (Department of Applied Sciences and Technologies, Escola Superior Agrária de Beja, Instituto Politécnico de Beja, 7800-309 Beja, Portugal)

  • Pedro Correia

    (Department of Applied Sciences and Technologies, Escola Superior Agrária de Beja, Instituto Politécnico de Beja, 7800-309 Beja, Portugal)

  • Mariana Regato

    (Department of Bioscience, Escola Superior Agrária de Beja, Instituto Politécnico de Beja, 7800-295 Beja, Portugal)

  • Idália Costa

    (Department of Bioscience, Escola Superior Agrária de Beja, Instituto Politécnico de Beja, 7800-295 Beja, Portugal)

  • Annabel Fernandes

    (Fiber Materials and Environmental Technologies (FibEnTech-UBI), Universidade da Beira Interior, R. Marquês D’Ávila e Bolama, 6201-001 Covilhã, Portugal
    Department of Chemistry, Universidade da Beira Interior, R. Marquês D’Ávila e Bolama, 6201-001 Covilhã, Portugal)

  • Adelaide Almeida

    (Department of Applied Sciences and Technologies, Escola Superior Agrária de Beja, Instituto Politécnico de Beja, 7800-309 Beja, Portugal
    Fiber Materials and Environmental Technologies (FibEnTech-UBI), Universidade da Beira Interior, R. Marquês D’Ávila e Bolama, 6201-001 Covilhã, Portugal)

  • Ana Lopes

    (Fiber Materials and Environmental Technologies (FibEnTech-UBI), Universidade da Beira Interior, R. Marquês D’Ávila e Bolama, 6201-001 Covilhã, Portugal
    Department of Chemistry, Universidade da Beira Interior, R. Marquês D’Ávila e Bolama, 6201-001 Covilhã, Portugal)

  • Fátima Carvalho

    (Department of Applied Sciences and Technologies, Escola Superior Agrária de Beja, Instituto Politécnico de Beja, 7800-309 Beja, Portugal
    Fiber Materials and Environmental Technologies (FibEnTech-UBI), Universidade da Beira Interior, R. Marquês D’Ávila e Bolama, 6201-001 Covilhã, Portugal)

Abstract

In a zero-waste approach for the agro-industrial sector, this study aimed to evaluate the reuse of cheese whey wastewater (chemical oxygen demand = 2.1 g L −1 ) pretreated by immediate one-step lime precipitation followed by natural carbonation as a nutritive solution for tomato production in hydroponic systems. Pretreated effluent, diluted with groundwater (1:6) and supplemented with nutrients, was utilized to irrigate different hydroponic systems designed to assess the influence of tomato rooting type (free/confined−setup_A) and the feed’s solution level (with/without water deep−setup_B). Plants and fruit development, fruit physicochemical characteristics and sensory analysis, and effluent quality after reuse were analyzed. Good quality tomato production with high crop yield was obtained. The highest marketable tomato weight per plant (682 g) was observed in setup_B with a deep-bed system, but setup_A, with free or confined rooting, presented similar values. The type of rooting, within setup_A or water deep within setup_B, did not significantly influence plant and fruit characteristics. The highest maturity and flavor indexes were observed for setup_A with free rooting. Regarding sensory analysis, setup_A often scored the highest in terms of overall appreciation with free or confined rooting. The reuse of cheese whey wastewater in hydroponics reduced freshwater consumption for crop production, allowed for a treated final effluent and prevented soil degradation in a sustainable circular economy methodology.

Suggested Citation

  • Alexandra Afonso & Carlos Ribeiro & Maria João Carvalho & Tânia Correia & Pedro Correia & Mariana Regato & Idália Costa & Annabel Fernandes & Adelaide Almeida & Ana Lopes & Fátima Carvalho, 2023. "Pretreated Agro-Industrial Effluents as a Source of Nutrients for Tomatoes Grown in a Dual Function Hydroponic System: Tomato Quality Assessment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-19, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2023:i:1:p:315-:d:1309866
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/1/315/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/1/315/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Chojnacka, K. & Witek-Krowiak, A. & Moustakas, K. & Skrzypczak, D. & Mikula, K. & Loizidou, M., 2020. "A transition from conventional irrigation to fertigation with reclaimed wastewater: Prospects and challenges," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 130(C).
    2. Hristov, Jordan & Barreiro-Hurle, Jesus & Salputra, Guna & Blanco, Maria & Witzke, Peter, 2021. "Reuse of treated water in European agriculture: Potential to address water scarcity under climate change," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 251(C).
    3. Suhl, Johanna & Dannehl, Dennis & Kloas, Werner & Baganz, Daniela & Jobs, Sebastian & Scheibe, Günther & Schmidt, Uwe, 2016. "Advanced aquaponics: Evaluation of intensive tomato production in aquaponics vs. conventional hydroponics," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 178(C), pages 335-344.
    4. Dimitra I. Pomoni & Maria K. Koukou & Michail Gr. Vrachopoulos & Labros Vasiliadis, 2023. "A Review of Hydroponics and Conventional Agriculture Based on Energy and Water Consumption, Environmental Impact, and Land Use," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(4), pages 1-26, February.
    5. Haowen Luo & Meiyang Duan & Longxin He & Shuying Yang & Yingbin Zou & Xiangru Tang, 2021. "A New Organic-Inorganic Compound Fertilizer for Improving Growth, Yield, and 2-Acetyl-1-Pyrroline Biosynthesis of Fragrant Rice," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-14, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Bolinches, Antonio & Blanco-Gutiérrez, Irene & Zubelzu, Sergio & Esteve, Paloma & Gómez-Ramos, Almudena, 2022. "A method for the prioritization of water reuse projects in agriculture irrigation," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 263(C).
    2. Christopher Shaw & Klaus Knopf & Werner Kloas, 2022. "Toward Feeds for Circular Multitrophic Food Production Systems: Holistically Evaluating Growth Performance and Nutrient Excretion of African Catfish Fed Fish Meal-Free Diets in Comparison to Nile Tilapia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-31, November.
    3. Marta Ellena & Roberta Padulano & Paola Mercogliano, 2025. "Influence of climate change on irrigation demand: insights from one of the most agricultural regions in Italy (Puglia)," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 121(9), pages 10043-10058, May.
    4. Vasileios A. Tzanakakis & Andrea G. Capodaglio & Andreas N. Angelakis, 2023. "Insights into Global Water Reuse Opportunities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(17), pages 1-30, August.
    5. Ivan Portoghese & Raffaella Matarrese & Laura Mirra & Giacomo Giannoccaro, 2025. "Assimilating Farmers’ Behaviour in the Development of an ET-Based Irrigation Water-Accounting Model," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 39(14), pages 7749-7774, November.
    6. Yi-Ju Wang & Teng Yang & Hye-Ji Kim, 2023. "pH Dynamics in Aquaponic Systems: Implications for Plant and Fish Crop Productivity and Yield," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-20, April.
    7. Ankita Chopra & Prakash Rao & Om Prakash, 2024. "Biochar-enhanced soilless farming: a sustainable solution for modern agriculture," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 29(7), pages 1-21, October.
    8. Nikafkar, Nasrin & Alroaia, Younos Vakil & Heydariyeh, Seyyed Abdollah & Schleiss, Anton J., 2023. "Economic and commercial analysis of reusing dam reservoir sediments," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 204(PB).
    9. Sebastian Marcus Strauch & Lisa Carolina Wenzel & Adrian Bischoff & Olaf Dellwig & Jan Klein & Andrea Schüch & Berit Wasenitz & Harry Wilhelm Palm, 2018. "Commercial African Catfish ( Clarias gariepinus ) Recirculating Aquaculture Systems: Assessment of Element and Energy Pathways with Special Focus on the Phosphorus Cycle," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-29, May.
    10. Tang, Darrell W.S. & Bartholomeus, Ruud P. & Ritsema, Coen J., 2024. "Wastewater irrigation beneath the water table: analytical model of crop contamination risks," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 298(C).
    11. Sara AbdelMoula & Mohamed T. Sorour & Samia A. Abdelrahman Aly, 2021. "Cost Analysis and Health Risk Assessment of Wastewater Reuse from Secondary and Tertiary Wastewater Treatment Plants," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-17, November.
    12. Hind Barghash & Zuhoor AlRashdi & Kenneth E. Okedu & Peter Desmond, 2022. "Life-Cycle Assessment Study for Bio-Hydrogen Gas Production from Sewage Treatment Plants Using Solar PVs," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(21), pages 1-17, October.
    13. Saleh, Mohammad & Salehi, Mobin & Khanaki, Shayan & Ebrahimian, Hamed & Liaghat, Abdolmajid & Mousavi, Seyed Majid & Pashapour, Salar & Ashrafi, Ali, 2025. "Effects of treated wastewater irrigation on soil properties, nutrient uptakes, and crop yields of agronomic crops under different crop rotations," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 316(C).
    14. Luisa F. Lozano-Castellanos & Luis Manuel Navas-Gracia & Isabel C. Lozano-Castellanos & Adriana Correa-Guimaraes, 2025. "Technologies Applied to Artificial Lighting in Indoor Agriculture: A Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(7), pages 1-22, April.
    15. Priscila Sarai Flores-Aguilar & Julieta Sánchez-Velázquez & Humberto Aguirre-Becerra & Guillermo Abraham Peña-Herrejón & Sergio Aurelio Zamora-Castro & Genaro Martín Soto-Zarazúa, 2024. "Can Aquaponics Be Utilized to Reach Zero Hunger at a Local Level?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-14, January.
    16. Shan-e-hyder Soomro & Xiaotao Shi & Jiali Guo & Caihong Hu & Haider M. Zwain & Chengshuai Liu & Muhammad Zeb Khan & Chaojie Niu & Chenchen Zhao & Zubair Ahmed, 2023. "Appraisal of climate change and source of heavy metals, sediments in water of the Kunhar River watershed, Pakistan," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 116(2), pages 2191-2209, March.
    17. Ionuț-Alexandru Spânu & Alexandru Ozunu & Dacinia Crina Petrescu & Ruxandra Malina Petrescu-Mag, 2022. "A Comparative View of Agri-Environmental Indicators and Stakeholders’ Assessment of Their Quality," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-23, March.
    18. Vanmarcke, Hanne & Tuytschaever, Tessa & Everaert, Bert & Cuypere, Tim De & Sampers, Imca, 2024. "Impact of using stored treated municipal wastewater for irrigation on the microbial quality and safety of vegetable crops," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 297(C).
    19. Nicoleta Ungureanu & Valentin Vlăduț & Gheorghe Voicu, 2020. "Water Scarcity and Wastewater Reuse in Crop Irrigation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-18, October.
    20. Mahmoud S. Hashem & Wei Guo & Xuebin Qi & Ping Li, 2022. "Assessing the Effect of Irrigation with Reclaimed Water Using Different Irrigation Techniques on Tomatoes Quality Parameters," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-19, March.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2023:i:1:p:315-:d:1309866. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.