Optimum Salinity Concentration and Nitrogen Fertilization for Salicornia herbaecea Growth in Reclaimed Land

Now in Korea, halophytes such as Salicornia herbacea and Spergularia marina are being cultivated as new income crops in southwestern coastal regions. So basis studies on halophytes growth characteristics is needed for developing a standard cultural practices of them. This study was carried out to investigate on cultivation of Salicornia herbacea, representative halophytes at new reclaimed land. First, in order to examine the characteristics of Salicornia herbacea germination by salinity (NaCl concentration 0 ~ 3%), germination tests were carried out. At the low-temperature 10oC, germination of Salicornia herbacea was slow but lasted for 15 days at all salinities, and final germination rates were of 78 ~ 90%. At higher than 20oC, maximum germination rate was showed within four days. Germination inhibition by salt was showed at NaCl concentration 3% and 30oC. The second, to investigate on the growth characteristics of Salicornia herbacea by nitrogen fertilization, port experiments were conducted at the greenhouse. Salicornia herbaceas buds began to be found after five days after sowing. Salicornia herbacea growth such as plant height, number of braches, etc. increased with increasing nitrogen fertilization. In order to investigate the growth characteristics by salinities, cultivation test of Salicornia herbacea was conducted in nutriculture with different salinities. In the plot without NaCl, the growth of Salicornia herbacea was very low, and it began to wither within one month. In plots with NaCl, the growth of Salicornia herbacea was well until concentrations of NaCl 500mM, and optimum NaCl concentration was 200mM for growth of Salicornia herbacea. Field verification experiments about the effect of nitrogen fertilization on transplanted Salicornia herbacea were conducted at the Saemangeum reclaimed land in Korea. There was a tendency to increase number of branches and plant length with increasing nitrogen fertilization. Amount of P2O5 and mineral element such as CaO, Na2O, K2O and MgO tended to increase with increasing nitrogen fertilization. However, there was no statistically significant difference.