Benefits of irrigating with wastewater
What prompted the research?
Dr James Meyer (JM):
It was conducted to evaluate whether the positive effects of microbe addition described in international literature could be replicated locally, and thereby challenge the limits imposed in South Africa on the reuse of agricultural wastewater for irrigation.
Growing demand for food has resulted in greater use of inorganic fertilisers, often with adverse effects such as soil degradation, acidification and reduced soil organic carbon. It has also reduced the effectiveness of inorganic fertilisers and thus an increase in the use of organic fertilisers, either alone or in combination with inorganic fertilisers, to mitigate these adverse effects.
