ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Nutrient Remediation Potential and Forage Quality
of the Emergent Jointed Flatsedge (Cyperus
articulatus L.) Grown in Eutrophic Waterbodies
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1
Department of Biology, College of Sciences, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
2
Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Helwan University, Cairo 11790, Egypt
3
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Bisha, P.O. Box 551, Bisha 61922, Saudi Arabia
4
Biology Department, College of Science, University of Tabuk, Tabuk 47512, Saudi Arabia
Submission date: 2024-05-07
Final revision date: 2024-07-20
Acceptance date: 2024-08-06
Online publication date: 2024-10-21
Corresponding author
Tarek M. Galal
Department of Biology, College of Sciences, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
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ABSTRACT
This research examined the seasonal fluctuations in the nutrient remediation capability of the
jointed flatsedge in eutrophic waterbodies through biomass harvesting and estimation of its potential
use as animal feed. Samples of plants, water, and sediment were gathered seasonally from six polluted
and three unpolluted sites. Fall had the highest biomass (3341.6 g/m2) and summer had the lowest
(283.8 g/m2) in polluted waterbody with an average of 1.17 kg/m2 lower than in the unpolluted Nile
(1.39 kg/m2). The aboveground parts had their highest contents of K, N, and Ca (174.4, 11.3, and 12.4
mg/kg, respectively) during fall, and Na, P, and Mg during spring, while belowground parts had their
highest Na content (165.9 mg/kg) in winter, and Ca and P (13.3 and 5.4 mg/kg) in spring. Summer
contributed to the highest contents of crude fibers and protein contents (58.4 and 9.8%) in aboveground
shoots, while spring had their highest value (31.1 and 7.3%) in the belowground organs. Moreover, fall
months had the highest efficiency in removing Na, K, N, Ca, and P (0.94, 0.59, 34.75, 37.77, and 17.77
g/m2) by shoot tissues. Therefore, jointed flatsedge has the efficiency to remediate nutrients from
eutrophic waterbodies by harvesting aboveground biomass, especially in the fall.