Parra et al. (2026) Tackling water scarcity through treated wastewater in Patagonian steppe: Carbon assimilation, water use and fruit traits in olive trees

Identification

• Journal: Agricultural Water Management
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-08-12
• Authors: Gisela Alejandra Parra, Scholz Fabian, Sandra J. Bucci, Guillermo Goldstein, Nadia Soledad Arias
• DOI: 10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110684

Research Groups

• Instituto de Biociencias de la Patagonia (INBIOP), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y T´ecnicas (CONICET) – Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco (UNPSJB)
• Grupo de Estudios Biofísicos y Eco-fisiol´ogicos (GEBEF), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Ciencias de la Salud (FCNyCS), UNPSJB
• Laboratorio de Ecología Funcional (LEF), Instituto de Ecología, Gen´etica y Evoluci´on de Buenos Aires (IEGEBA-CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA)

Short Summary

This study investigates the impact of using treated wastewater on the physiological performance and fruit characteristics in olive trees in southeast Patagonia. The results show that wastewater irrigation significantly enhances carbon assimilation, growth rates, and fruit traits compared to freshwater irrigation.

Objective

• Investigate the effect of treated wastewater irrigation on olive tree physiology and fruit production in a cool-temperature region.
• Evaluate the potential of using treated wastewater as an alternative water source for agriculture in arid regions.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Local scale, with experiments conducted at a single site in Patagonia, Argentina.
• Temporal Scale: Two-year experiment, with data collected over two full phenological cycles.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: No specific models were mentioned in the paper, but various statistical analyses were performed using STATISTICA software version 7.0 (StatSoft, Inc. 2011) and SigmaPlot 12.0 (Systat Software Inc., San Jose, CA, USA, 2011).
• Data sources: Physicochemical parameters of irrigation water and soil samples were analyzed in the Chemical Oceanography and Water Pollution Laboratory (CESIMAR-CENPAT, Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina) and the Soil Laboratory of the EEA INTA Chubut (EEA INTA Chubut, Trelew, Argentina).

Main Results

• Wastewater irrigation significantly increased net carbon exchange, growth rates, and fruit traits compared to freshwater irrigation.
• The use of treated wastewater led to enhanced physiological performance, with plants exhibiting higher transpiration rates, leaf chlorophyll content, and biomass production.

Contributions

• This study provides the first evidence that wastewater irrigation improves carbon sequestration in a cool-temperature region like Patagonia.
• The results demonstrate the potential of using treated wastewater as an alternative water source for agriculture in arid regions, mitigating water scarcity and promoting sustainable olive production.

Funding

• This research was funded by various projects and programs, including:
  • Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y T´ecnicas (CONICET)
  • Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco (UNPSJB)
  • Secretaria de Ciencia y Tecnología del Chubut
  • Laboratorio de Ecología Funcional (LEF), Instituto de Ecología, Gen´etica y Evoluci´on de Buenos Aires (IEGEBA-CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA))

Citation

@article{Parra2026Tackling,
  author = {Parra, Gisela  Alejandra and Fabian, Scholz and Bucci, Sandra J. and Goldstein, Guillermo and Arias, Nadia Soledad},
  title = {Tackling water scarcity through treated wastewater in Patagonian steppe: Carbon assimilation, water use and fruit traits in olive trees},
  journal = {Agricultural Water Management},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110684},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110684}
}