A Study on the Effect of Adding Olive Mill Wastewater on Some Chemical Properties of Soil and the Growth of Virginia Tobacco Plants

Abstract

The research was carried out during the 2022-2023 agricultural seasons at the Zahid Al-Gharbiya Station for Water and Irrigation Research, affiliated with the Agricultural Scientific Research Center in Tartous Governorate, according to a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD). The experiment included five treatments (M5, M4, M3, M2, M1), with three replications for each treatment. The research aimed to study the effect of adding olive mill wastewater alone or in combination with chemical fertilizers on some chemical properties of the soil (Organic Matter %, pH, Total Nitrogen, available Phosphorus and Potassium in ppm) and on some growth indicators of Virginia tobacco plants. The following morphological and physiological traits were studied: (Plant height (cm) and total leaf area (m²/plant), Plant productivity of dry leaves (kg/dunam)). The results of the experiment showed that the addition of olive mill wastewater at a rate of 150 m³/hectare led to a significant and clear increase in soil fertility indicators (Total Nitrogen, available Phosphorus and Potassium in ppm), as well as the soil content of organic matter. The addition of olive mill wastewater at the aforementioned rate also compensated for more than 60% of the recommended mineral fertilizers for soil when cultivating the Virginia variety.