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Salt Increses the Water Use Effeciency in Water Stressed Plants 1
Author(s) -
McCree Keith J.,
Richardson Steven G.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.76
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1435-0653
pISSN - 0011-183X
DOI - 10.2135/cropsci1987.0011183x002700030024x
Subject(s) - vigna , biology , sorghum , irrigation , agronomy , salinity , water stress , saline water , water use efficiency , water use , water quality , soil salinity , ecology
Irrigated crops experience some water stress between irrigations. If poor quality water is used, the crops are also likely to be salinized. Daily C gains and water losses of salinized and nonsalinized sugarbeet ( Beta vulgaris L.), and cowpea ( Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) plants were measured continuously, in whole‐plant assimilation chambers, throughout 2 to 3 weeks of water stress under controlled environment conditions. Equivalent data for sorghum plants [ Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench.] were published previously. Even though the three species showed quite different patterns of response to water stress, mild salinization always had the same effect. It reduced the water loss rate per plant, which allowed the length of the irrigation cycle to be increased, which in turn increased the C gain per cycle and the water use efficiency (C gain per unit of water lost).