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Salt Tolerance of Australian Channel Millet 1
Author(s) -
Shan M. C.,
Wheeler E. L.,
Saunders R. M.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
agronomy journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1435-0645
pISSN - 0002-1962
DOI - 10.2134/agronj1981.00021962007300050020x
Subject(s) - agronomy , salinity , sorghum , cynodon dactylon , forage , biology , hordeum vulgare , poaceae , halotolerance , crop , drought tolerance , cynodon , ecology
Undomesticated plant species may be a valuable resource for increasing crop diversity and developing crops for use in semiarid and saline areas. Australian channel millet ( Echinochloa turnerana (Domin) J. M. Black) is very drought tolerant; however, its salt tolerance has not been tested. In drum culture studies, conducted in the greenhouse, plant height, weight, and seed grain weight were measured as a function of saline stress. Concentrations of Na, Ca, and Cl in leaves and stems increased as soil salinity increased. At salinities above 1.5 S m −1 , E. turnerana is as salt tolerant as bermudagrass ( Cynodon dactylon L.). The grain yield by E. turnerana was decreased by 50% by 2.4 S m −1 salinity; whereas, previous studies have shown that proportionate grain yield reductions of sorghum [ Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] and barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.) occur at 1.1 and 1.8 S m −1 , respectively. E. Turnerana has high salt tolerance as either a grain or forage crop, and as a forage displays superior digestibility. This species could be exploited for future use on marginal lands.