Effects of Reclaimed Water on the Growth and Fruit Quality of Cucumber

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of using reclaimed water for cucumber irrigation. The experiment was conducted using raw canal water, and water reclaimed from treated wastewater using a natural recycling treatment system. The raw water quality met the Irrigation Water Quality Standards of Taiwan. The water quality of reclaimed water was treated within the ranges of DO: 3.9-8.4 (mg l(-1)); pH: 6.5-7.8; EC: 206-587 (mu s cm(-1), 25 degrees C); SS: 0.1-11.8 (mg l(-1)); NH4-N: 0-18.16 (mg l(-1)) and BOD: 0.1-1.8 (mg l(-1)). The experimental period for cucumber growth was 75 days. R-g was defined as the different multiple of plant growth and used to estimate the effects of irrigation water quality. Furthermore, yield, weight, length, and diameter of cucumbers were used to quantify the influence of irrigation water quality on cucumber quality. Result shows that R-g was within the range (1.003-1.311). The heights of cucumbers grown using reclaimed water were longer than those grown using raw water. Comparing the yield, weight, length, and diameter of cucumbers irrigated by reclaimed water (RW) and by raw water (IW), the percentages of RW/IW were respectively 154, 96, 95.5 and 101%. Based on the results, this study concludes that using reclaimed water for cucumber irrigation is feasible. Copyright (c) 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.