Chemical effect of reclaimed water on soil and rose plant grown in soil and tuff media

Abstract: The effect of three irrigation regimes of low quality water (the effluent of reclaimed wastewater from Ramtha treating plant) on soil, drained water and plant tissue chemical composition of First Red cut flower rose cultivar grown on three rootstocks Rosa indica, Rosa canina, and Natal Briar was investigated for two successive years 2003 and 2004 in two planting media soil and Zeotuff. Phosphorus showed intermediate levels in both depths. Potassium in soil accumulated at high levels, especially at 0-20 cm depth. Manganese, copper, and zinc showed no accumulation in soil, iron reached high levels in both depths of soil. Less salinity build up was shown by the three irrigation treatments in soil than water drained from tuff beds regardless of rootstock used for the First Red rose cultivar during the first year, 2003. Both EC and SAR reached a steady status throughout the second year 2004. Based on the nutrient standards mentioned for rose tissue in the literature, the only macro and micro element accumulation was recorded for sodium in the tissue of First Red rose planted in both media during both years and iron in both media during the first year only, regardless of water treatment.