Emergence, height, and yield of canola and barley grown in saline root zones

2005 ◽  
Vol 85 (4) ◽  
pp. 815-827 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Steppuhn ◽  
J. P. Raney

The salinity tolerance of a crop relates to its inherent ability to yield economic product as root-zone salinity increases. Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) ranks as one of the more salt-tolerant of the annual cereal grain crops, but producers seek a salt-resistant, non-cereal grain crop as an agronomic alternative for saline fields. Could canola (Brassica napus L.) serve as this alternative? Two greenhouse tests were conducted to determine the inherent crop responses of three canola cultivars (Quantum, Hyola 401, InVigor 2573) to saline rooting media compared with that of Harrington barley. These crops were grown in sand tanks flushed four times daily with solutions dominated either by chlorides with salt concentrations measuring from 1.4 to 32 dS m-1 or by sulphates from 1.6 to 27 dS m-1 . In the Cl-test, the rate of emergence and the emergence time of the Quantum plants lagged those for Hyola and Harrington. In the SO4-test, these measures for the InVigor plants equalled those for the Hyola, but lagged those for Harrington. Relative crop height at harvest did not differ among the test crops in either test. Crop grain yields relative to the salt-free production analysed by the modified-discount equation resulted in Cl-solution tolerance indices of 11.0, 14.3, and 12.6 for Harrington, Hyola, and Quantum and SO4-solution indices of 11.4, 15.6, and 16.7 for Harrington, Hyola, and InVigor, respectively. Covariance analyses based on paired t-tests confirmed the conclusion that the salinity tolerance of the canola cultivars equalled that of Harrington barley. Key words: Salt tolerance, salt resistance, salinity, canola, barley, abiotic crop-stress

2005 ◽  
Vol 85 (4) ◽  
pp. 863-875 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Steppuhn ◽  
K. Asay

The salinity tolerance of a crop relates to its inherent ability to yield economic product while subjected to root-zone salinity. Tall wheatgrass [Thinopyrum ponticum (Podp.) Liu & Wang, previously Agropyron elongatum (Horst.) Beauv.] ranks as one of the most salt-tolerant forage crops, but producers feeding or grazing livestock with it often report of its poor palatability. NewHy [Elytrigia repens (L.) Nevski × Pseudoroegneria spicata (Pursh.) A. Love] and green wheatgrasses (Elymus hoffmannii Jensen and Asay) are new forages with potentially better palatability. In order to determine the responses of these forages to saline rooting media, two tests were conducted in Canada’s Salinity Tolerance Testing Facility. The plants were grown in sand tanks flushed four times daily with hydroponic solutions consisting of nutrients and salts dominated either by chloride ions measuring from 1.5 to 48 dS m-1 or by sulphate ions from 1.5 to 50 dS m-1. In the chloride test, maximum emergence-survival, emergence rate, and emergence at the time of maximum rate for Orbit tall wheatgrass differed significantly from green wheatgrass (Breeding Strain A6) and NewHy. The maximum percent emergence and survival within the range of test salinity levels averaged 93, 88, 86% for tall, NewHy, and Strain A6 wheat grasses, respectively. In the sulphate test, maximum percent emergence-survival averaged 94, 91, and 87% for Orbit tall wheatgrass and green wheatgrass breeding strains A6 and S2 across the eight salinity levels of the test. Relative crop heights at harvest did not differ significantly among the test forages in either test. In the chloride test, shoot biomass yields relative to the salt-free production analysed by the modified-discount equation resulted in salinity-tolerance-indices of 11.2, 5.7, and 12.9 for tall, NewHy, and green wheatgrasses, respectively. In the sulphate test, salinity-tolerance indices for the tall wheatgrass, A6 and S2 green wheatgrass strains registered 11.7, 12.8, and 12.5, respectively. This and the covariance yield analyses based on paired t-tests lead to the inference that the salinity tolerance for both strains of green wheatgrass equalled that of the Orbit tall wheatgrass and exceeded that of the NewHy. Producers will soon have the option of growing AC Saltlander, a variety of green wheatgrass (Strain S2), which has just been released for commercialization and seed increase. Key words: Salt tolerance, salt resistance, salinity, tall wheatgrass, green wheatgrass, NewHy, crop response to salinity


1997 ◽  
Vol 77 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Steppuhn ◽  
K. G. Wall

Farmers seek information about the salt tolerances of wheat. Two greenhouse tests conducted at the Swift Current Salt Tolerance Testing Laboratory determined the response of four spring-sown Canadian wheat cultivars (Katepwa, Biggar, Fielder and Kyle) to increasingly saline rooting media. The first test followed the United States Salinity Laboratory procedure of increasing root-zone salinity gradually after plant emergence, and the second provided full complements of salts before seeding. The plants were grown in sand tanks irrigated four times daily with hydroponic solutions containing salt concentrations of up to 14 dS m−1 equivalent electrical conductivity for saturated soil paste extracts (ECe) Grain yield and plant height began to decline within all cultivars at equivalent ECe-values ranging between 0.5 and 2.5 dS m−1. At 4 dS m−1, grain production dropped to 80% or less of that produced in non-saline rooting media. Kyle and Fielder plants showed slightly more salt tolerance than those of Katepwa or Biggar (i.e., moderately sensitive rather than sensitive). Gradually adding the salts after plant emergence resulted in a tendency for greater salt-tolerance estimates than obtained by subjecting the plants to the full complement of salts at seeding. At the concentrations tested, the salinity affected the number of fertile spikes per plant more than it affected the number of plants reaching harvest. Key words: Salt tolerance, salt resistance, salinity, crop growth modelling, crop response


Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 712
Author(s):  
Md Sarowar Alam ◽  
Mark Tester ◽  
Gabriele Fiene ◽  
Magdi Ali Ahmed Mousa

Salinity is one of the most significant environmental stresses for sustainable crop production in major arable lands of the globe. Thus, we conducted experiments with 27 tomato genotypes to screen for salinity tolerance at seedling stage, which were treated with non-salinized (S1) control (18.2 mM NaCl) and salinized (S2) (200 mM NaCl) irrigation water. In all genotypes, the elevated salinity treatment contributed to a major depression in morphological and physiological characteristics; however, a smaller decrease was found in certain tolerant genotypes. Principal component analyses (PCA) and clustering with percentage reduction in growth parameters and different salt tolerance indices classified the tomato accessions into five key clusters. In particular, the tolerant genotypes were assembled into one cluster. The growth and tolerance indices PCA also showed the order of salt-tolerance of the studied genotypes, where Saniora was the most tolerant genotype and P.Guyu was the most susceptible genotype. To investigate the possible biochemical basis for salt stress tolerance, we further characterized six tomato genotypes with varying levels of salinity tolerance. A higher increase in proline content, and antioxidants activities were observed for the salt-tolerant genotypes in comparison to the susceptible genotypes. Salt-tolerant genotypes identified in this work herald a promising source in the tomato improvement program or for grafting as scions with improved salinity tolerance in tomato.


Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 713
Author(s):  
Edward G. Barrett-Lennard ◽  
Rushna Munir ◽  
Dana Mulvany ◽  
Laine Williamson ◽  
Glen Riethmuller ◽  
...  

This paper focuses on the adverse effects of soil sodicity and alkalinity on the growth of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) in a rainfed environment in south-western Australia. These conditions cause the accumulation of salt (called ‘transient salinity’) in the root zone, which decreases the solute potential of the soil solution, particularly at the end of the growing season as the soil dries. We hypothesized that two approaches could help overcome this stress: (a) improved micro-water harvesting at the soil surface, which would help maintain soil hydration, decreasing the salinity of the soil solution, and (b) soil amelioration using small amounts of gypsum, elemental sulfur or gypsum plus elemental sulfur, which would ensure greater salt leaching. In our experiments, improved micro-water harvesting was achieved using a tillage technique consisting of exaggerated mounds between furrows and the covering of these mounds with plastic sheeting. The combination of the mounds and the application of a low rate of gypsum in the furrow (50 kg ha−1) increased yields of barley grain by 70% in 2019 and by 57% in 2020, relative to a control treatment with conventional tillage, no plastic sheeting and no amendment. These increases in yield were related to changes in ion concentrations in the soil and to changes in apparent electrical conductivity measured with the EM38.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 1516 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Zhu ◽  
Yun Fan ◽  
Sergey Shabala ◽  
Chengdao Li ◽  
Chao Lv ◽  
...  

Salt stress is one of the major environmental factors impairing crop production. In our previous study, we identified a major QTL for salinity tolerance on chromosome 2H on barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). For further investigation of the mechanisms responsible for this QTL, two pairs of near-isogenic lines (NILs) differing in this QTL were developed. Sensitive NILs (N33 and N53) showed more severe damage after exposure to 300 mM NaCl than tolerant ones (T46 and T66). Both tolerant NILs maintained significantly lower Na+ content in leaves and much higher K+ content in the roots than sensitive lines under salt conditions, thus indicating the presence of a more optimal Na+/K+ ratio in plant tissues. Salinity stress caused significant accumulation of H2O2, MDA, and proline in salinity-sensitive NILs, and a greater enhancement in antioxidant enzymatic activities at one specific time or tissues in tolerant lines. One pair of NILs (N33 and T46) were used for proteomic studies using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. A total of 53 and 51 differentially expressed proteins were identified through tandem mass spectrometry analysis in the leaves and roots, respectively. Proteins which are associated with photosynthesis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging, and ATP synthase were found to be specifically upregulated in the tolerant NIL. Proteins identified in this study can serve as a useful resource with which to explore novel candidate genes for salinity tolerance in barley.


1999 ◽  
Vol 79 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. J. Bullied ◽  
M. H. Entz ◽  
S. R. Smith Jr.

Crop rotations involving perennial alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) present the unique problem of terminating the alfalfa stand. Intensive tillage currently used to terminate alfalfa increases the risk of soil erosion and reduces many of the rotational benefits from alfalfa. Inadequate alfalfa termination results in severe competition to the following crop by surviving alfalfa plants. Field experiments were conducted in Manitoba between 1991 and 1993 with the following objectives: 1) to investigate no-till vs. tillage management systems for successful alfalfa termination, 2) to compare fall vs. spring alfalfa termination, 3) to compare the performance of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seeded into alfalfa residue, and 4) to determine the relationship between alfalfa escapes and grain yield. Fall termination produced higher grain yields than spring termination, however this advantage was only achieved with the better termination treatments capable of lowering alfalfa regrowth below a critical level. The best herbicide treatment tested here was glyphosate at 1.78 kg a.i. ha−1. Successful treatments would have to reduce residual alfalfa basal crown area (a measure of alfalfa regrowth potential) after cereal grain harvest to below 2%. Alfalfa escapes reduced yield of following wheat and barley crops similarly (P > 0.05). When alfalfa termination treatment method allowed some regrowth, in-crop herbicide treatments significantly reduced alfalfa basal crown area. Results of this study indicate that it is feasible to terminate alfalfa with herbicides in the absence of tillage, however an overall cropping strategy, including adequate consideration of weeds present in alfalfa fields at time of termination, must be considered. Key words: Herbicides, competition, recropping, no-till, alfalfa regrowth, soil conservation, sustainable cropping


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward Mwando ◽  
Yong Han ◽  
Tefera Tolera Angessa ◽  
Gaofeng Zhou ◽  
Camilla Beate Hill ◽  
...  

1991 ◽  
Vol 71 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Umesh C. Gupta

Field studies were conducted in Prince Edward Island (PEI) on the Fe nutrition of cereals and forages and to determine the relationship between plant Fe and soil pH. The Fe concentration in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and oats (Avena sativa L.) boot stage tissue (BST) and grain ranged from 35 to 65 and from 19 to 42 mg kg−1, respectively, in the control and from 38 to 57 and from 22 to 45 mg kg−1, respectively, in the soil applied Fe treatments. In the foliar applied Fe treatments, the cereal BST contained as much as 121 mg Fe kg−1 in the FeSO4.7H2O treatments and up to 86 mg kg−1 in the chelate-Fe treatment, but neither of these two sources increased Fe concentration in the grain. In the first cut of forages in the foliar treatments, the Fe was as high as 131 mg Fe kg−1, but no differences were generally found between the control and Fe treatments in the second cut. Over the soil pH ranges of 4.5–6.9, no consistency was found in the correlation coefficient (r) values between plant Fe and soil pH. In spite of the Fe concentrations as low as 19 mg kg−1 in cereal grain and 23 mg kg−1 in forages in the control treatments, no yield response to added Fe was found. However, the Fe concentrations as found in this study would be considered deficient for livestock and mineral supplements of Fe to the feeds may be desirable. Key words: Cereals, forages, soil pH, plant iron, acid soils


1978 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 241-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. WADDINGTON

Under greenhouse conditions, incorporating ground straw in the soil at rates between 2,240 and 8,970 kg/ha reduced the emergence of alfalfa (Medicago media Pers. cv. Beaver) significantly (P < 0.05) and bromegrass (Bromus inermis Leyss cv. Magna) slightly, but had no effect on barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Conquest). Rape (Brassica napus L. cv. Target and B. campestris L. cv. Echo) straws were more damaging than wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Manitou) straw. Symptoms of severe nitrogen deficiency appeared early in the growth of barley where straw had been added to the soil. The effect on tillering varied. In one experiment tillers were smaller, in one tillers were larger; but in both, total leaf area produced was much less where 8,970 kg/ha of straw had been added to the soil. Bromegrass showed the same effects but to a lesser degree, probably because of slower growth requiring a smaller supply of nitrogen. Alfalfa growth was apparently unaffected. There was no evidence that the straw of either rapeseed species was more deleterious than wheat straw to crop growth after emergence. It is concluded that straw incorporated in soil affected barley and bromegrass growth by reducing the availability of nitrogen.


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