Seaweed and humic acid boost neem trees grown on wastewater
Salaheldin S, Selim MA, Soliman WS, Gahory AA
Phytoremediation
If you've ever wondered whether treated wastewater could safely grow trees instead of going to waste, this study shows a simple soil additive makes it work better and cleans the soil in the process.
Researchers in Egypt watered neem trees with treated wastewater for nearly two years and added two natural plant boosters: a seaweed extract and humic acid, a substance derived from decomposed organic matter. The seaweed extract made trees grow taller and thicker with denser, drier wood, while humic acid improved the wood's internal fiber quality. Even though the wastewater kept coming, the trees actually helped pull heavy metals like lead and cadmium out of the soil over time.
Key Findings
Seaweed extract at 2 g/L increased stem diameter by up to 35.4% and chlorophyll content by up to 14.75% compared to untreated trees.
Humic acid at 2 mL/L boosted cellulose, hemicellulose, and holocellulose content by 4-10.2% while cutting lignin and ash by 12.1% and 9.5%.
Soil heavy metal levels declined over the 21-month study despite continuous wastewater irrigation, with metals like lead, cadmium, and copper mostly stored in roots while iron accumulated in leaves.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Feeding neem trees seaweed extract or humic acid while watering them with treated wastewater made the trees grow faster, produce denser wood, and pull heavy metals out of the soil, offering a way to safely reuse wastewater in dry regions.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Enhancement of neem growth and wood quality via humic acid and seaweed extract application under treated wastewater irrigation in arid environments.
Wastewater-irrigated forestry is an important strategy for sustainable water resource management, biomass production, and ecosystem restoration in arid and semi-arid regions. A field experiment was...
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