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A seven month, pot study was conducted to evaluate the impact of moderately saline wastewater on the growth potential of six forestry plant species viz., Eucalyptus calmaldulensis, Dendrocalamus strictus, Casurina equisetfolia, Cassia fistula, Melia dubia, and Bambusa arundinacea under different drainage conditions namely, well-drained saline (WDS) condition and poor-drained saline condition (PDS) and the control with well-drained non-saline condition. WDS treatment resulted in no mortality whereas PDS treatment resulted in mortality in the range of 33–66%. The plant height and root dry biomass increased in the range of 145% to 221.6% and 4.3–37.1 g respectively in WDS treatment, however, 23.60% to 173.4% and 4.1–10.1 g in PDS treatment. Among all, Eucalyptus camaldulensis and Dendrocalamus strictus showed high Na+ accumulation in roots (2.16 ± 0.02% and 1.13 ± 0.01%), shoots (1.98 ± 0.01% and 0.74 ± 0.01%) and leaves (1.27 ± 0.02% and 0.86 ± 0.01%) in WDS treatment and in case of PDS treatment root (1.01 ± 0.01% and 0.23 ± 0.01%), shoot (1.12 ± 0.02% and 0.11 ± 0.01%), and leaf (0.07 ± 0.01% and 0.1 ± 0.02). The overall performance of both Eucalyptus camaldulensis and Dendrocalamus strictus was highest in WDS treatment. Therefore, it was concluded, that both plants had better performance than other plant species, a proper drainage system defines the overall productivity and treatment efficiency. Forestry is not only a necessity for increasing tree cover and decreasing pressure on natural forests but also a most desired land use plan especially for reclaiming and rehabilitating the degraded lands. This study concluded that salt-affected and waterlogged areas and moderately saline waters can be utilized satisfactorily in raising forests using suitable plant species. Eucalyptus camaldulensis and Dendrocalamus strictus which showed good performance for salt tolerance and survival can be effectively used to mitigate the problems of waterlogged conditions and soil salinity remediation. Utilizing these species extensively can be a sustainable and suitable approach to promote afforestation and mitigate the problems of waterlogged conditions and for green belt development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endeavours to recycle organic waste by utilizing black soldier fly (BSF) Hermetia illucens (L.) into waste management and high nutrient biomass development have indeed picked up momentum recently. But there is not much data on their appropriate rearing conditions. Very few studies delineating the fecundity and reproduction capacities of BSFs concluded that the presence of natural sunlight or artificial light with intensity of 110-200 µ mol m²s-1 and above triggers mating and oviposition (about 85-90%) at successfully higher rates along with ideal temperature (26 to 40°C) and relative humidity (40-70%) conditions. Optimum food moisture (50-80%) also plays a vital role in enhancing the consumption rate of waste and therefore the treatment efficiency of the larvae. Significant development of the BSF larvae and the treatment efficiencies were also observed to be governed by the pH of waste and the optimum range was defined to be of 6.0 to 9.0. The type of organic waste also equally influences the development, fecundity, and the lifespan of flies. The present review highlights the significant research that has been conducted with respect to lifecycle of BSFs, under the set of different light combinations (LED and fluorescent lights), temperatures and organic waste composites (protein rich and fat rich substrates). Conclusively, it was inferred that ameliorations in rearing conditions such as investigation of suitable light source, modifications in egg collection and hatching structures and knowledge of biology of flies can further boost the reproductive capability of fly thereby promoting successful insect rearing and mass production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens L. [Diptera: Stratiomyidae]) has gained huge popularity in different industrial and commercial sectors because of its excellent potential to treat organic waste and high biomass production. As the industrial application of BSF is expanding at accelerated rates, there is a need to optimize its mass scale production where the organic substrates play a very crucial role in optimal growth and development. The present study deals with the investigation of different life history attributes of BSF such as larval and adult weights, survival, pupation rate, and the development time as the function of different organic substrates [fruits and vegetable mix (T1); wheat bran, soy, and corn meal mix (T2); and the dairy manure (T3)]. The larval, pupal, and adult weights differed across all three treatments (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the survival rate of larvae among T1 and T2 however, T3 differed significantly from T1 and T2. Likewise, the pupation rate and the development time differed significantly between the three treatments. Results indicated that the BSF development was least in dairy manure treatment and therefore, higher percent mortality and higher development time were observed. However, to deal with the problems of waste management and treatment, BSF larvae can be successfully employed for the treatment of any type of waste since it showed significant treatment efficiencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study focuses on determining the phyto-treatment efficiency for treatment of moderately saline wastewater using organic raw materials, such as rice husk, coconut husk, rice straw, and charcoal. The moderately saline wastewater with total dissolved solids (TDS) concentration up to 6143.33 ± 5.77 mg/L was applied to the lysimeters at the rate of 200 m3 ha–1 day–1 in five different lysimeter treatments planted with Eucalyptus camaldulensis (T1, T2, T3, T4, and T5). T1 was a control without any filter bedding material, whereas rice straw, rice husk, coconut husk, and charcoal were used as filter bedding materials in the T2, T3, T4, and T5 treatment systems, respectively. Each treatment showed significant treatment efficiency wherein T3 had the highest removal efficiency of 76.21% followed by T4 (67.57%), T5 (65.18%), T2 (46.46%), and T1 (45.5%). T3 and T4 also showed higher salt accumulation, such as sodium (Na) and potassium (K). Further, the pollution load in terms of TDS and chemical and biological oxygen demand significantly reduced from leachate in the T3 and T4 treatments in comparison with other treatments. Parameters of the soil, such as electrical conductivity, exchangeable sodium percentage, and cation exchange capacity did not show values corresponding to high salinity or sodic soils, and therefore, no adverse impact on soil was observed in the present study. Also, Eucalyptus camaldulensis plant species showed good response to wastewater treatment in terms of growth parameters, such as root/shoot weight and nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) uptake, plant height, biomass, and chlorophyll content. Root and shoot dry weight were in the order T3 (51.2 and 44.6 g)>T4 (49.3 and 43.5 g) > T5 (47.6 and 40.5 g) > T2 (46.9 and 38.2 g) > T1 (45.6 and 37.1 g). Likewise, the total chlorophyll content was highest in T3 (12.6 μg/g) followed by T4 (12.3 μg/g), T5 (11.9 μg/g), T2 (11.5 μg/g), and the control, that is, T1 (11.0 μg/g). However, the most promising results were obtained for T3 and T4 treatments in comparison with the control (T1), which implies that, among all organic raw materials, coconut and rice husks showed the highest potential for salt accumulation and thereby wastewater treatment. Conclusively, the findings of the study suggest that organic raw material–based amendments are useful in managing the high salts levels in both plants and leachates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different industrial activities such as agro‐food processing and manufacturing, leather manufacturing, and paper and pulp production generate highly saline wastewater. Direct discharge of saline wastewater has resulted in pollution of waterbodies by very high magnitudes. Consequently, an enormous number of pollutants such as heavy metals, salts, and organic matter are also released into the environment threatening the survival of human and biota. Saline wastewater also has significant effects on survival of plants, agricultural activities, and groundwater systems. Several treatments and disposal technologies are available for saline wastewater, but the selection of the most appropriate treatment and disposal technology still remains a major challenge with respect to the economic or technical constraints. Considering the sustainable management of saline wastewater, the present review is an attempt to compile the existing and emerging technologies for the treatment of saline wastewater. Among all the individual and hybrid technologies, land‐based treatment systems are proven to be the most efficient technologies considering the energy demands, economic, and treatment efficiencies. Likewise, new and sustainable technologies are the need of hour integrating both the treatment and management and the resource recovery factors along with the ultimate goal of the protection in terms of human health and environmental aspect. Practitioner points: Physico‐chemical treatment technologies for saline wastewater.Combined/Hybrid technologies for the treatment of saline wastewater.Land‐based treatments as the environment friendly and sustainable method for saline wastewater treatment and disposal.Role of phytoremediation in land‐based treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effect of Different Organic Substrates on Selected Life History Traits and Nutritional Composition of Black Soldier fly ( I Hermetia illucens i ). Wheat bran, corn and soy meal. [Extracted from the article]