Clonal eucalyptus plantations fertirrigated with purified urban wastewater (simplified SI-UNIBAS system): a viable opportunity
The development of a “wood waste” supply chain using treated urban waste is proposed for fertirrigation of eucalypt clonal plantations. We used the simplified SI-UNIBAS urban waste water purification system, a modification of the conventional activated sludge system which allows for the production o...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | Italian |
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Italian Society of Silviculture and Forest Ecology (SISEF)
2021-10-01
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| Series: | Forest@ |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://foresta.sisef.org/contents/?id=efor3802-018&lang=en |
| _version_ | 1818321242339409920 |
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| author | Mughini G Masi S |
| author_facet | Mughini G Masi S |
| author_sort | Mughini G |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The development of a “wood waste” supply chain using treated urban waste is proposed for fertirrigation of eucalypt clonal plantations. We used the simplified SI-UNIBAS urban waste water purification system, a modification of the conventional activated sludge system which allows for the production of water with variable loads of organic carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), thus adapting the treated water to the crop requirements. A prototype of this system already exists since more than a decade in the municipality of Ferrandina, near Matera (southern Italy), where the purified wastewater is used to fertirrigate olive trees in an extensive experimentation with excellent results. We hypothesized the use of the SI-UNIBAS system to fertirrigate plantations of fast-growing eucalyptus clones in order to evaluate the obtainable wood production and the surfaces to be planted in areas of central and southern Italy characterized by evergreen and deciduous oak forests. In summary, the development of the “wood waste” chain could result in: (i) a reduction of up to 50% in waste treatment costs and CO2 emissions, compared to the conventional activated sludge system; (ii) a high and constant wood production (8 million m3 per year) over a short time (8-15 years rotation) on limited surfaces (about 400.000 ha) to be used as timber and/or biomass for energy use; (iii) savings on the cost of irrigation water, fertilizers or organic matter for wood production, while maintaining the soil fertility; (iv) savings on the use of chemical fertilizers and therefore no CO2 emissions from their production; (v) a lower logging from national forests and/or imports from abroad; (vi) the possibility of managing parts of forests currently subject to logging in a more efficient way in terms of absorption and conservation of atmospheric CO2 and biodiversity conservation. However, before large-scale applications of the SI-UNIBAS system, pilot studies need to be implemented in sites with soil, climatic and socio-economic conditions typical of central and southern Italy. We concluded that the SI-UNIBAS system has the potential to be applied in large-scale projects at the national level. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T10:37:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ebb79e4b2c4a4c5b842618a05465606b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1824-0119 |
| language | Italian |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T10:37:47Z |
| publishDate | 2021-10-01 |
| publisher | Italian Society of Silviculture and Forest Ecology (SISEF) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Forest@ |
| spelling | doaj.art-ebb79e4b2c4a4c5b842618a05465606b2022-12-21T23:50:41ZitaItalian Society of Silviculture and Forest Ecology (SISEF)Forest@1824-01192021-10-01181859210.3832/efor3802-0183802Clonal eucalyptus plantations fertirrigated with purified urban wastewater (simplified SI-UNIBAS system): a viable opportunityMughini G0Masi S1Già CREA Centro di ricerca Foreste e Legno, l.go dell’Olgiata 15, I-00123 Roma (Italy)Facoltà di Ingegneria, Università degli Studi della Basilicata, v.le dell’Ateneo Lucano 10, I-85100 Potenza (Italy)The development of a “wood waste” supply chain using treated urban waste is proposed for fertirrigation of eucalypt clonal plantations. We used the simplified SI-UNIBAS urban waste water purification system, a modification of the conventional activated sludge system which allows for the production of water with variable loads of organic carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), thus adapting the treated water to the crop requirements. A prototype of this system already exists since more than a decade in the municipality of Ferrandina, near Matera (southern Italy), where the purified wastewater is used to fertirrigate olive trees in an extensive experimentation with excellent results. We hypothesized the use of the SI-UNIBAS system to fertirrigate plantations of fast-growing eucalyptus clones in order to evaluate the obtainable wood production and the surfaces to be planted in areas of central and southern Italy characterized by evergreen and deciduous oak forests. In summary, the development of the “wood waste” chain could result in: (i) a reduction of up to 50% in waste treatment costs and CO2 emissions, compared to the conventional activated sludge system; (ii) a high and constant wood production (8 million m3 per year) over a short time (8-15 years rotation) on limited surfaces (about 400.000 ha) to be used as timber and/or biomass for energy use; (iii) savings on the cost of irrigation water, fertilizers or organic matter for wood production, while maintaining the soil fertility; (iv) savings on the use of chemical fertilizers and therefore no CO2 emissions from their production; (v) a lower logging from national forests and/or imports from abroad; (vi) the possibility of managing parts of forests currently subject to logging in a more efficient way in terms of absorption and conservation of atmospheric CO2 and biodiversity conservation. However, before large-scale applications of the SI-UNIBAS system, pilot studies need to be implemented in sites with soil, climatic and socio-economic conditions typical of central and southern Italy. We concluded that the SI-UNIBAS system has the potential to be applied in large-scale projects at the national level.https://foresta.sisef.org/contents/?id=efor3802-018&lang=eneucalyptusclonetimberbiomassfertigationurban wastewaterpurification |
| spellingShingle | Mughini G Masi S Clonal eucalyptus plantations fertirrigated with purified urban wastewater (simplified SI-UNIBAS system): a viable opportunity Forest@ eucalyptus clone timber biomass fertigation urban wastewater purification |
| title | Clonal eucalyptus plantations fertirrigated with purified urban wastewater (simplified SI-UNIBAS system): a viable opportunity |
| title_full | Clonal eucalyptus plantations fertirrigated with purified urban wastewater (simplified SI-UNIBAS system): a viable opportunity |
| title_fullStr | Clonal eucalyptus plantations fertirrigated with purified urban wastewater (simplified SI-UNIBAS system): a viable opportunity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Clonal eucalyptus plantations fertirrigated with purified urban wastewater (simplified SI-UNIBAS system): a viable opportunity |
| title_short | Clonal eucalyptus plantations fertirrigated with purified urban wastewater (simplified SI-UNIBAS system): a viable opportunity |
| title_sort | clonal eucalyptus plantations fertirrigated with purified urban wastewater simplified si unibas system a viable opportunity |
| topic | eucalyptus clone timber biomass fertigation urban wastewater purification |
| url | https://foresta.sisef.org/contents/?id=efor3802-018&lang=en |
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