Comparison of Surface Water or Treated Municipal Wastewater Irrigation on Alfalfa Establishment, Soil Fertility, and Soil Microbial Conditions

Water scarcity for agricultural irrigation is increasing globally while generation of treated municipal wastewater (TWW) due to urban expansion. Municipalities seek uses their TWW, which safe apply forage crops. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) the most important crop worldwide being adapted a wide range environmental factors, including with low quality water. A strip plot study four replications at New Mexico State University’s Rex E. Kirksey Agricultural Science Center Tucumcari, NM USA, compared effects surface water (SW) and TWW on alfalfa establishment soil fertility microbial growth. established equally well when irrigated equal amounts or SW. After one year, application increased P plant N more so than Most health indicators were positively by in virgin soil; however, effect was greater SW (1147, 1184, 1961, 4991 nmol g−1 total biomass seeding after respectively, LSD0.05 = 710). Thus, could reduce applied fertilizer meet alfalfa’s requirement increase