Comparative Behavior of Dracaena marginata Plants Integrated into a Cascade Cropping System with the Addition of Hydrogen Peroxide

Abstract

The reuse of crop drainage into other crops, in the form of a cascade cropping system, is a feasible environmental solution where high inputs of water and fertilizer are used for crop growth and lower efficiency rates, associated with a high discharge of water and fertilizers into the environment, are present. Dracaena marginata plants were cultured in containers with sphagnum peat moss and were subjected to three different fertigation treatments for eight weeks: Dm0 (standard nutrient solution or control treatment), Dm1 (raw leachates), and Dm2 (raw leachates with additional H2O2), where the leachates were collected from a Chrysalidocarpus lutescens-Dracaena deremensis cascade cropping system. At the end of the harvesting, growth parameters, pigment concentration, leaf and root proline, total soluble sugar concentrations, and water and nutrient use efficiencies were assessed for each fertigation treatment. Plant height, root, stem, and total dry weight increased under fertigation with leachates with H2O2. The fertigation with leachates with or without H2O2 increased the red index value. There were no clear trends between the fertigation treatments with regards to pigment concentrations and biochemical parameters (proline and total soluble sugar concentrations). The addition of H2O2 to the leachate increased N concentration in the organs assessed, as well as the water and nutrient use efficiencies. There were no variations in H2PO4−, SO42−, Na+, and Mg2+ concentration in the chemical composition of the substrate between fertigation treatments. The positive results reported in this experiment suggest the potential growth of Dracaena marginata with leachate and hydrogen peroxide in a cascade cropping system.