<br/><br/>As climate change leads to decreased precipitation and warmer temperatures, arid agricultural regions of the United States, such as Colorado, are experiencing stress on their water supply. The large volumes of wastewater resulting from oil and gas operations in Colorado may serve as a source of irrigation water for agricultural purposes. However, repurposing this water, known as produced water, is difficult because of its high salinity, and potential contamination with organic compounds and toxic metals. Our study investigates the effects on soil health and wheat yields when using produced water as an irrigation source. Utah State University Apogee spring wheat was grown with four different water treatments: 1% and 5% dilutions of the produced water, a salt water control with the same salinity level as the 5% produced water dilution, and irrigation water. Plant and soil health were analyzed throughout the growth of the wheat by measuring soil conductivity and pH, sampling soil for 16S rRNA microbial analysis, and sampling soil for carbon and nitrogen content. Plant physiology and morphology were tracked by observing height, growth stage, and yield. After harvest, we sampled soil to investigate bulk soil density, water capacity, soil structure, mineralizable nitrogen, and other soil fertility measurements. Initial results do not show large physiological differences between the different irrigation treatments, however, 5% produced water and salinity dilutions did experience leaf yellowing. Further analysis of the soil differences between treatments will likely be more informative than visual differences. This project aims to develop an understanding of how produced water affects plant and soil health as well as what steps must be taken to make irrigation with produced water a viable option for Colorado wheat farmers.

Irrigating wheat with produced water: Impacts on soil and crop health

2019 Spring National Meeting

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.