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Constructed Wetlands in the Production of Crimson Fountain Grass Flower Stems

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Abstract

The advantages of using constructed wetlands (CWs) for the decentralized treatment of wastewater include the operational simplicity, low cost, high-purification potential, and generation of plant biomass. Different plant configurations and species have been evaluated in CWs to increase the efficiency and the commercial and landscaping interest of plants grown in these units. Owing to its characteristics such as tolerance to different water levels, ease of acquisition, and associated economic value, crimson fountain grass (Cenchrus setaceus) is a potential plant to grow in CWs. The objective of this study was to evaluate the production of crimson fountain grass flower stems grown in horizontal-subsurface-flow (HSSF) CWs with different baffle arrangements. The three 1.0-m2 HSSF CWs cultivated with 10 crimson fountain grass seedlings differed in the presence of partitions inside the units, as follows: no internal partitions; horizontal baffles; vertical baffles. The cultivated grass was analyzed for clump fresh weight (g), flower stem length (cm), panicle length (cm), panicle diameter (mm), and panicle dry weight (g). The experimental design was completely randomized with a split-plot in time, with three treatments, 10 replicates, and nine collection periods. The results obtained in the CWs during 9 months of monitoring indicated that the grass grown in the CWs with vertical baffles had higher clump fresh weight, longer stem length, and greater panicle size and dry weight. Given the high water and nutrient availability, the cultivation of ornamental plants in CWs can be considered a profitable option that allows high production of plant structures in a small physical space.

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All data produced from this study are provided in this manuscript.

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Funding

The authors would like to thank CAPES (Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel), CNPq (National Council for Scientific and Technological Development), and FAPEMIG (Fundação de Amparo to the Research of the State of Minas Gerais) for the financing and research grants granted to conduct this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Agricultura, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras, MG, Brazil

    Iracema Clara Alves Luz, Antonio Rodrigues da Cunha Neto, Michele Valquíria dos Reis & Patrícia Duarte de Oliveira Paiva

  2. Departamento de Recursos Hidricos e Saneamento, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras, MG, Brazil

    Ana Flávia Santos Rabelo de Melo

  3. Departamento de Engenharia Ambiental, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras, MG, Brazil

    Fátima Resende Luiz Fia & Mateus Pimentel de Matos

Authors
  1. Iracema Clara Alves Luz
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  2. Antonio Rodrigues da Cunha Neto
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  3. Ana Flávia Santos Rabelo de Melo
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  4. Michele Valquíria dos Reis
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  5. Fátima Resende Luiz Fia
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  6. Mateus Pimentel de Matos
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  7. Patrícia Duarte de Oliveira Paiva
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Contributions

ICAL performed all stages of the work, from the practical part to the writing of the article, and was also responsible for the idealization of the proposal. ARCN is responsible for organizing the collected data, statistics, making figures and tables, writing the article, and responsible for communicating the research group. AFSRM is responsible for data collection and assistance in maintaining the constructed wetlands. MVR, FRLF, MPM, and PDOP all professors were responsible for the guidance, fundraising, data analysis, correction, and review of the article. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Patrícia Duarte de Oliveira Paiva.

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Ethics approval was not required for this study according to local legislation of the University Federal of Lavras.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Luz, I.C.A., da Cunha Neto, A.R., de Melo, A.F.S.R. et al. Constructed Wetlands in the Production of Crimson Fountain Grass Flower Stems. Water Air Soil Pollut 233, 5 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-021-05464-x

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