Adaptation and productivity of atriplex in Pakistan
2002
Akhtar, J. | Qureshi, R.H. | Aslam, M. | Mahmood, K.,University of Agriculture,Faisalabad (Pakistan). Saline Agriculture Research Centre
Harvesting of bushes during the summer in trials of Atriplex project wasassociated with high plant mortalities. However, it was not clear whether thesedeaths were caused by seasonal conditions, since no comparison was made withhand stripping in winter. This experiment is to examine the effects of month ofharvesting on the survival and productivity of Atriplex amnicola and Atriplexlentiformes. The experiment had two species. Six harvesting months (November,1994, January, March, May, July, and September, 1995) and four replicate (tenplant /replicate). The seedlings were allowed to establish for one year and afterthat scheduled harvesting up to pencil thickness were carried out. Fresh and dryweight of leaves and twigs and leaf: twig-ratio was recorded. Dry leaves wereanalyzed for Na, CI, N and ash content. The soil had ECe of 16-37 dS m-1. SAR20-48 (mmol L-1)1/2 and was silty clay loam. The ground water table fluctuatedbetween 1.3 - 2.7 m. Months of harvesting had great impact on the survival andproductivity of the species. Plant mortality was higher when harvesting was,carried out during March to July and was 5-8 times greater in A. lentiformis thanA. amnicola. Re-sprouting (measured by recording shoot Volume two months afterharvesting) was the highest in A. lentiformis when harvested in July, In the caseof A. amnicola, regeneration was greater when harvested in January or March.Shoot fresh weight was significantly higher in A. amnicola for January and March.Leaf: twig ratio of the forage, harvesting in January was higher in A. amnicola,while forage of A. lentiformis was significantly more woody when harvested inJanuary. Harvesting in March to July caused the maximum plant mortality.
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