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Environmental Implications of Adopting a Dominant Factor Approach to Salinity Management
Author(s) -
Shani Uri,
BenGal Alon,
Dudley Lynn M.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
journal of environmental quality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1537-2537
pISSN - 0047-2425
DOI - 10.2134/jeq2004.0366
Subject(s) - melon , salinity , abelmoschus , agronomy , crop , biomass (ecology) , cucumis , horticulture , biology , environmental science , ecology
Additive or multiplicative models of crop response on which salinity management theory have been developed may lead to an erroneous perception regarding compensative interaction among salinity and other growth factors. We present results from studies of biomass production and transpiration of corn ( Zea mays L. cv. Jubilee), melon ( Cucumis melo L. subsp. melo cv. Galia), tomato ( Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv. 5656), onion ( Allium cepa L. cv. HA 944), and date palms ( Phoenix dactylifera L. cv. Medjool) under salinity combined with water or nitrate (growth promoters) or with boron (growth inhibitor). The measured crop responses were to the more severe stress rather than to combinations of the individual effects of the various stresses. Consequences of shifting management of saline water to a dominant factor approach include reduction of environmental contamination and conservation of water resources.