Water lentils (duckweed) in Jordan irrigation ponds as a natural water bioremediation agent and protein source for broilers

• Farmers complain and seek a solution regarding duckweed’s growth in irrigation ponds.
• Farmers are unaware of duckweed’s nutritional value around the world.
• We examine the availability of duckweed as water bioremediation agent.
• We examine its suitability as a protein and nutrient source for broilers.

The growth of wild water lentils (duckweed) in Jordan’s farm irrigation ponds has focused attention on the need to study the functions of these plants as a natural water bioremediation agent and as a potential protein source for broilers. This paper examined the water source and water quality (nutrient composition) of irrigation ponds that support duckweed plants and their suitability as broilers feed. The results showed that the source of the irrigation ponds is Zarqa River, and the analyzed water quality parameters of the source fall within the allowed limits set forth in the Jordanian Standard. The growth of duckweed in farm irrigation ponds reduces the nutrient supply to irrigated crops and serves as a purifier of irrigation water. These plants remove an average of 20% Ca, 33% Mg, 21% K, 13% Cl, 25% SO4, 35% PO4, 1.5% Na, and 40% NO3. Fresh duckweed contains approximately 94% water and 6% dry matter; the average nutrient concentrations in dry matter are 26% protein, 4.16 % N, 5.2% fiber, 3.1% fat, 0.86% P, 2.4% K, 4.3% Ca, 0.88% Mg, 0.2% Fe, 1.62% Cl, 0.16% Na, 0.008% Zn, 0.07% Mn and 0.002% Cu. This research reveals the potential for Jordan to examine the availability of duckweed in farm irrigation ponds and their function as water bioremediation agents and their suitability as a protein and nutrient source for broilers. If harvested at frequent intervals and dried, water lentil plant (duckweed) could be of great benefit to Jordan's livestock sector, especially with regard to poultry, where feedstuffs are limited in supply and prices are typically high.