March 2026
In the podcast series Querfeldein, Prof. Jan Siemens reports on and discusses the opportunities and risks of irrigating with wastewater.
Crop field irrigated with wastewater (left) versus un‑irrigated area in Valle Mezquital (Mexico)
Photo: Jan Siemens
REINGEHÖRT is the short version of a podcast episode on the topic “Irrigation with wastewater in agriculture – experiences from Valle Mezquital, Mexico.” In a few minutes you’ll get an overview of the issue, and if you’d like to learn more, you can listen to the full episode here:
(in German)
Prof. Jan Siemens is the spokesperson for the DFG Research Group on irrigation with wastewater in Mexico and a professor of soil resources and soil protection at Justus Liebig University Gießen.
Together with colleagues from Mexico and Germany he aims to uncover:
- Why does shifting from irrigation with untreated wastewater to irrigation with treated wastewater bring not only opportunities for protecting the environment and people but, in some cases, also risks?
- How are soil contaminants linked to the emergence of antibiotic resistance?
- What can we learn from the Mexican experience for sustainable irrigation strategies – also in Germany?
More information on Jan Siemens’ work:
https://www.uni-giessen.de/de/fbz/fb09/institute/bodenkunde/boden/team/siemens-jan/index