Response of six Medicago sativa cultivars to NaCl concentrations in irrigation water
2002
Saoub, H.M. (Jordan Univ., Amman (Jordan). Dept. of Agricultural Resources and Environment)
Six alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) cultivars were tested for their tolerance to salinity under glasshouse conditions. Six alfalfa cultivars and six NaCl concentrations in irrigation water were used. Soil was placed in 20 cm diameter pots forming an average weight of 2.5 kg. In each pot fifteen seeds were planted and plants were thinned to six plants/pot, five days after emergence. Total dry matter production was significantly reduced with increasing the NaCl concentration in the irrigation water. Maxicrop and diablo verde were the most tolerant cultivars to increasing NaCl concentration in irrigation water, while baladi and hessawi were the most sensitive cultivars. The decrease in herbage yield can be attributed to the decrease in plant height, leaf area and root growth. It can be concluded that increasing NaCl levels up to 6000 ppm in the irrigation water is very risky for the cultivars used in this study.
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