Biomass Production, Forage Quality, and Cation Uptake of Quail Bush, Four-Wing Saltbush, and Seaside Barley irrigated with Moderately Saline-Sodic Water

Beneficial use of water of impaired quality has gained attention globally as society's demand for domestic quality water has increased. Additionally, concerns about the environmental implications of disposal of water of impaired quality have necessitated assessment of alternatives to disposal of such water. The study reported here investigated capacity of Atriplex lentiformis (Torr.) S. Wats. (Quail bush), Atriplex X aptera A. Nels. (pro sp.) (Wytana four-wing saltbush), and Hordeum marinum Huds. (seaside barley) to produce biomass and crude protein and take up cations when irrigated with moderately saline-sodic water, in the presence of a shallow water table. Water tables were established at 0.38, 0.76, and 1.14 m below the surface in sand-filled columns. The columns were then planted to the study species. Study plants were irrigated for 224 days; irrigation water was supplied every 7 days equal to water lost to evapotranspiration (ET) plus 100 mL (the volume of water removed in the most previous soil solution sampling). Water representing one of two irrigation sources was used: Powder River (PR) [electrical conductivity (EC) = 0.19 Sm-1, sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) = 3.5 (mmolc L-1)1/2 ] or coalbed natural gas (CBNG) wastewater [EC = 0.35 Sm-1, SAR = 10.5 (mmolc L-1)1/2]. Biomass production did not differ significantly between water quality treatments but did differ significantly among species and water table depth within species. Averaged across water quality treatments, Hordeum marinum produced 79% more biomass than A. lentiformis and 122% more biomass than Atriplex X aptera, but contained only 11% crude protein compared to 16% crude protein in A. lentiformis and 14% crude protein in Atriplex X aptera. Atriplex spp. grown in columns with the water table at 0.38 m depth produced more biomass, took up less calcium (Ca2+) on a percentage basis [(g Ca2+ g-1 biomass) x100], and took up more sodium (Na+) on a percentage basis than when grown with the water table at a deeper depth. Uptake of cations by Atriplex lentiformis was approximately twice the uptake of cations by Atriplex X aptera and three times that of H. marinum. After 224 days of irrigation, crop growth, and cation uptake, followed by biomass harvest, EC and SAR of shallow groundwater in columns planted to A. lentiformis were less than EC and SAR of shallow ground water in columns planted to either of the other species.