Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 8.7 Bacteriological quality of irrigation water, 2005
Sampling site
Most probable number/100ml
TC
FC
FS
EC
ENDA
>5500
13.1
þ
þ
EPP
400-6000
6.5
þ
þ
EET
550-5500
6.5
þ
þ
EPA
67-667
1.1
þ
þ
ERO
50-500
1.1
þ
þ
EPNA
550-5500
7.2
þ
þ
EMA
>4000
11.5
þ
þ
FAO standards
1000
Each value is the average of six analyses. EC, Escherichia coli; FC, fecal coliform; FS, fecal
streptococci; TC, total coliform.
boots and gloves while working. The main illnesses affecting market
gardeners are malaria (39.6 per cent), typhoid fever (18.81 per cent),
rheumatism (17.49 per cent), gastroenteritis (9.9 per cent), amoebiasis (8.9 per
cent), haemorrhoids (5.9 per cent), itchy skin (4.3 per cent), general aches and
pains (2.9 per cent), muscle pain (1.3 per cent), sinusitis (1.3 per cent) and
schistosomiasis (0.3 per cent). A significant number of the market gardeners
were unaware sickness can be transmitted by irrigation water. This lack of
knowledge was found to be almost identical for men (35.4 per cent) and
women (32.8 per cent).
Effect of Projet de Composti`re de Quartier compost
on yield
During the period of research from October 2004 to September 2005, there
were four crop rotations, with the land lying fallow during May, June and
July. The time lapse between transplanting and harvest took 25-30 days.
Table 8.8 shows the size and mass of vegetables and length of leaves in plots
with and without PCQ for the first three rotations. Each value is the average
of ten specimens.
The results were mixed. The size of the vegetables and the length of their
leaves were greater with the use of sludge. In contrast, values for these
parameters decreased with the use of the PCQ compost. In general, irrigation
with wastewater resulted in increased vegetable and leaf size than irrigation
with tap water. This difference is explained by the greater amount of nutrients
in the wastewater which stimulates growth. The mass of vegetables grown
with PCQ compost diminished over the rotations, but there was a remarkable
improvement over those grown with sludge. Findings indicate that
supplementary PCQ compost should be added after the second rotation.
However, it seems that sludge does not begin to produce these effects until
after the third rotation (150 days).
