The Effect of Reclaimed Wastewater and Clean Water Applications on the Yield and Quality Parameters of Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

This study examined the effects of different irrigation methods, water quality, and irrigation levels on yield components and water-use efficiency of bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) under semi-arid climate conditions. The main objective of the study was to manage water use in the most efficient way while maintaining production efficiency in areas with limited water resources. This study is a field trial conducted in 2024 to compare surface drip irrigation (SDI) and subsurface drip irrigation (SSDI) systems using three water sources of varying quality:freshwater (FW), reclaimed wastewater (RW), and mixed water (MW; 50% RW + 50% FW). Irrigation water amounts were determined from cumulative evaporation measured with a Class A pan, and four irrigation levels were established at 100%, 75%, 50%, and 25% of the full irrigation requirement. Seasonal evapotranspiration ranged from 116.0 to 468.8 mm. Water use efficiency (WUE) and irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) ranged from 1.42 to 5.49 kg m-3 and 1.72 to 6.62 kg m-3, respectively. Morphological traits included plant height (20.10–52.44 cm), stem diameter (9.83–10.05 mm), root length (15.44–27.40 cm), root weight (22.01–35.05 g), pod length (13.21–15.64 mm), and pod width (1.52–1.92 mm). Yield decreased significantly with increasing drought stress, indicating high sensitivity to irrigation levels. RW treatments outperformed FW in both yield and water-use efficiency, while MW produced results similar to RW, suggesting its potential as an alternative. Research findings indicate that integrating RW and MW with SDI and SSDI systems could be an effective strategy for ensuring sustainable bean production in arid and semi-arid regions.