Basil growth responses to fish farming wastewater irrigation across different growth environments

The increased demand for fish, combined with the ecological difficulties caused by overfishing, has produced a favorable environment for the expansion of aquaculture in recent decades. This increase also leveraged the irregular release of wastewater that contributes to the eutrophication of water bodies. This study assessed the cultivation of basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) irrigated with fish wastewater with different substrate types. The experimental design was a 2x2 factorial design, with two growth environments (organic substrate and washed sand) and two irrigation sources (fish farming wastewater and municipal water). Irrigation factor had shown significant difference in the fresh weight parameter of the plants grown in organic substrate, yet no other statistical difference was observed in the parameters evaluated. When considering the growth environment factor, the organic substrate performed better than washed sand. Therefore, it is observed that fish wastewater can be used as a water supply for the growth of basil without harming the culture.