Evaluation of botanicals for the desalination potential of irrigation water

Abstract

Agriculture is the largest consumer of water in the world. Over exploitation of water resources is threatening the very sustainability of livelihood and hence use of poor quality water, brackish water and saline water is highly imperative as an adaptation strategy to conserve water resources. Crop selection, application of organic manures and blending with good quality water are the currently available options to manage the use of saline water, which are not always sustainable. The technology which paves way for removal of salts at the source itself can help the farming community to cultivate crops of their preference based on the market demand. Hence in an attempt to explore the desalination potential of botanicals viz., citrus peel, stumps and seeds of Moringa oleifera, bark of Indian goose berry (Phyllanthus emblica), Albizia (Albizia amara) leaf powder and powdered seeds of Tettamparal (Strychnos potatorum) at various reaction time viz., 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 60 minutes, 2 hours and 24 hours after addition in diverse forms, it was found that seeds of Strychnos potatorum was only effective in reducing the salinity of water by 0.01 to 0.25 units than the initial value, whilst the other additives resulted only in increased electrical conductivity. Although plethora of evidences speaks about the biosorption potential of these botanicals for heavy metals, their ability to adsorb sodium and chloride ions in irrigation water needs further exploration.