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Salt‐tolerant forage cultivation on a saline‐sodic field for biomass production and soil reclamation
Author(s) -
Qadir M.,
Qureshi R. H.,
Ahmad N.,
Ilyas M.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
land degradation and development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.403
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1099-145X
pISSN - 1085-3278
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1099-145x(199603)7:1<11::aid-ldr211>3.0.co;2-c
Subject(s) - sesbania , echinochloa , eleusine , agronomy , forage , soil salinity , echinochloa crus galli , biology , salinity , weed , finger millet , ecology
Chemical reclamation of sodic and saline‐sodic soils has become cost‐intensive. Cultivation of plants tolerant of salinity and sodicity may mobilize the CaCO 3 present in saline‐sodic soils instead of using a chemical approach. Four forage plant species, sesbania ( Sesbania aculeata ), kallar grass ( Leptochloa fusca ), millet rice ( Echinochloa colona ) and finger millet ( Eleusine coracana ), were planted in a calcareous saline‐sodic field ( EC e = 9·6–11·0 dS m −1 , SAR = 59·4–72·4). Other treatments included gypsum (equivalent to 100 per cent of the gypsum requirement of the 15 cm soil layer) and a control (no gypsum or crop). The crops were grown for 5 months. The performance of the treatments in terms of soil amelioration was in the order: Sesbania aculeata ≅ gypsum > Leptochloa fusca > Echinochloa colona > Elusine coracana > control. Biomass production by the plant species was found to be directly proportional to their reclamation efficiency. Sesbania aculeata produced 32·3 Mg forage ha −1 , followed by Leptochloa fusca (24·6 Mg ha −1 ), Echinochloa colona (22·6 Mg ha −1 ) and Eleusine coracana (5·4 Mg ha −1 ). Sesbania aculeata emerged as the most suitable biotic material for cultivation on salt‐affected soils to produce good‐quality forage, and to reduce soil salination and sodication processes.