Salt tolerance
In the agronomic and horticultural sense, the salt tolerance evaluates the relative decrease in yield of a plant population, which is caused by soil salinization in comparison to a non-salinized soil, but otherwise comparable growth conditions .
Classification
Cultivated plants are classified into four groups of different salt tolerance:
- sensitive (S = sensitive: beans, peas, peach),
- moderately sensitive (MS = moderately sensitive: corn, alfalfa, tomatoes),
- moderately tolerant (MT = moderately tolerant: wheat, soybeans, sorghum) and
- tolerant (T = tolerant: barley, sugar beet, date palm).
To classify your salt tolerance, it is internationally customary to use the salt content of the soil saturation extract ECe (Electrical Conductivity in dS / m: extract when the soil is saturated with water), which, in contrast to the content in% (g / 100g soil), is closely related to the salinization of the natural Soil solution stands and is therefore more meaningful.
The relationship between the relative yield Y (in%) of a plant group / plant for a given average salinity of the root zone of the soil ECe can be shown graphically. The relationship is based on the following mathematical equation:
With
- b
- the loss of yield in% per unit (1 dS / m) increase in soil salt content. The yield loss is in the range of <3% / (1dS / m) for salt-tolerant plants to> 30% / (1dS / m) for salt-sensitive plants.
- a
- the limit value of the soil salt content ECe (dS / m) at which the loss of yield begins. The limit value is between 1.5 dS / m for salt-sensitive (S) and 10 dS / m for salt-tolerant (T) plants.
The key figures a and b are plant-specific.
The issue of the salt tolerance of cultivated plants is increasingly topical in view of the global shortage of low-salt irrigation water, because the demand for good fresh water for households and industry is increasing and consequently the pressure on agriculture , horticulture and landscaping to use brackish water as irrigation water is increasing .
swell
- ↑ RS Ayers, DW Westcot: Water Quality for Agriculture (FAO Irrigation and Drainage Paper 29) . Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, 1985, ISBN 978-92-5-102263-4 .
literature
- JD Rhoades, A. Kandiah, AM Mashali: The Use of Saline Waters for Crop Production (FAO irrigation and drainage paper 48) . Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, 1992. ISBN 92-5-103237-8
- Uwe Schleiff: Research aspects for crop salt tolerance under irrigation with special reference to root environment . FAL spec. issue 286; 2005.