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All manuscripts are subject to editorial review and the editors reserve the Yanka Ivanova (Bulgaria) right to improve style and return the paper ISSN 1313 - 8820 Volume 7, Number 3 September 2015 2015 AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, VOL. 7, No 3, pp 344 - 349, 2015 Groundwater quality as a source for irrigation in Strumica valley, Republic of Macedonia B. Kovacevik*, S. Mitrev, B. Boev, I. Karov, V. Zajkova Panova Laboratory for Plant Protection and Environment, Goce Delcev University of Stip, Krste Misirkov, 2000 Stip, Republic of Macedonia Abstract. The quality of groundwater was investigated for possible agriculture pollution in the traditional agriculture region of Strumica, situated in the southeast part of the Republic of Macedonia. Almost 200 samples of water from boreholes in 14 different points were collected and analyzed by relevant + + 2+ 2+ + - - 2- - - 3- standard methodsfor a total content of Na , K , Ca , Mg , NH4 , Cl, HCO3 , SO 4 , NO 3 , NO 2 , and PO4 . The results showed that groundwater in the studied area 2+ 2+ + + - - 3- 2- is generally neutral to slightly alkaline. The abundance of the major ions is Mg >Ca >K >Na and HCO3 >Cl >PO4 >SO 4 . Concentration range of the main + + 2+ 2+ + cations Na , K , Ca Mg and NH4 is 1.40 – 36.71mg/L, 0.68 – 354.44 mg/L, 7.43 – 411.18 mg/L, 1.07 – 96.14 mg/L and < LOQ (limit of quantification) – 55.89 - - 2- - - 3- mg/L, respectively. Regarding anions Cl , HCO3 , SO 4 , NO 3 , NO 2 , and PO4 concentration range is 4.19 – 614.31mg/L, 0.04 – 750.97 mg/L, < LOQ – 300.45 mg/L 0.14 – 284.44 mg/L, < LOQ – 35.85 mg/L and < LOQ – 7.80 mg/L, respectively. A multivariate statistical analysis is performed to evaluate the possible interrelationship within a set of variables. Statistical and hydrochemical analysis suggest that the quality of groundwater is mainly affected by the geological composition of the area. Factor analysis (FA) revealed five significant factors of 14 variables and account for 71.54 % of the total variance. Although nitrates are considered a significant source of widespread groundwater contamination, when it comes to agricultural areas the result didn't show any severe contamination except in the periphery of the valley which is considered to be related to the thickness of the basal lithozone represented by sandstones and the shallow aquifers. Keywords: irrigation quality parameters, hydrochemical analysis, multivariate statistical analysis, agricultural pollution. Introduction health threat. Its concentrations in groundwater can reach high levels of leaching or runoff from agricultural land or contamination Groundwater is a significant water supply in many developed from human and animal wastes as a consequence of the oxidation of and rural area. It often occurs in association with geological ammonia (US EPA, 1994). Nitrate pollution in groundwater has been formations thus containing higher concentrations of dissolved salts announced in many agriculture developed areas of Europe such as compared to surface waters. Naturally groundwater contains Austria, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Romania and the dissolved solids in concentrations ranging from few mg/l to several Slovak Republic (EEA, 1999). Slovenia published that in almost 25% hundred mg/l. Major dissolved components of groundwater include of sampled wells, concentrations of nitrates in groundwater the anions bicarbonate, chloride and sulphate and the cations exceeded 25 mg/L. In Moldova this value exceeded MCL of 50 mg/L. sodium, calcium, magnesium and potassium (Karanth, 1987). The In Northern Europe (Iceland, Finland, Norway and Sweden) nitrate type and concentrations of major ions depend on the geological concentrations in groundwater are relatively low (EEA, 2012). In composition of the unsaturated zone and the aquifer. The Bulgaria, in a region with high anthropogenic impact from industry concentrations of these major ions in the groundwater may increase and agriculture Georgieva et al. (2011) established in groundwater - - due to the impact of the anthropogenic factor and make it unsuitable from drilled wells levels of NO3 up to 140 mg/l, NO2 up to 0.352 mg/l + -- + for domestic or agriculture use. The most recognized pollutants are and NH4 up to 0.260 mg/l. The results of PCA for NO3 , NO 2 and NH4 industry, agriculture and sewages. The pollution of groundwater is showed that two rotated principal components (varifactors), with recognized as one of the most serious environmental problems in eigenvalues higher than 1, were extracted (they described about many areas, worldwide. Since the 1980s the concern over 70.3% of the overall variance). The correlation matrices revealed - - groundwater agricultural pollutants in Europe has been growing. positive mutual relationships between NO3 and NO2 , and between Agriculture has been cited as a leading non-point source of - + NO2 and NH4 contents. In the same region Kostadinova (2014) has groundwater pollution in many areas of the world (FAO, 1996; Ignazi, investigated the presence of nitrates during a period of one year and 1993; EEA, 2012). The European Community responded with the found out that the concentrations are higher in the low underground groundwater Europe legislation focused on controlling groundwater water period, from October till December with maximum pollution from industrial and urban sources – Directive 80/68/EEC