2018 ENGENHARIA SANITARIA E AMBIENTAL 2018 23(卷), 4(期), (727-738页)
The aim of this paper was to assess the agronomic viability of using anaerobically treated domestic sewage in cultivation of Crimson Sweet watermelon. In a field experiment conducted in the semi-arid region of Pernambuco state, Brazil, four treatments m were used to assess the effects of irrigation using dripping system on fruits and soil. Four heights of 50% (TD, 75% (T2), 100% (13) and 125% (T4), based on the calculated evapotranspiration and irrigation needs, were applied. The treated effluent characteristics indicated compliance with the recommendations for agricultural application, but the concentration of suspended solids (114 mg.L-1) demanded frequent cleansing of the dripper blockages. We observed an increase in the cation exchange capacity and a decrease of the soil pH in all the treatments. The best results were obtained with the treatment T4 (height of 125%), which showed watermelons of bigger size (20.78 cm), as well as the highest productivity (61.1 tha(-1)) and fruit weight (712 kg.un(-1)). These values are higher than those of the country and Pernambuco state, demonstrating the agronomic feasibility of reuse under the studied conditions.