EFFECT OF SALTS ON ORNAMENTAL GROUND COVERS FOR GREEN URBAN AREAS

De-icing salts represent a serious problem in all cold countries, since they damage the plants along the streets in ‘guardrail’ flower-beds, inducing the presence of dry leaves, necroses, malformations and anomalies, so as to be diagnosed as an attack of pathogens.
In most cases the first visible effect of a high salt content in the ground are necrotic areas on the leaves.
In these areas there is the accumulation of salts which undoubtedly causes partial or total destruction of chlorophyll and therefore the death of these parts.
The speed and intensity of the necrosis depends above all on the biological properties of the salt and on the kind of salt in the soil.
To evaluate the damage on the widely used shrub Cotoneaster salicifolius, plants were treated using three kinds of salts (sodium chloride [NaCl₂], calcium chloride [CaCl₂] and sodium sulphate [Na₂SO₂]) at two different concentrations (0.25 N; 0.125 N). The most important damage was caused by root absorption of solutions salts containing chloride ions.
The typical symptoms were necrotic areas on the leaves.
To evaluate the effect of the root absorption of NaCl solutions, a screening with six evergreen species was performed: Viburnum tinus, V. davidii, Elaeagnus pungens, Berberis candidula, Pyracantha coccinea and Ligustrum ovalifolium. The effect on the leaves – yellowings and necroses, connected to the root absorption of NaCl solutions at concentrations of 0.25 N, was very evident in the case of Viburnum davidii, Berberis candidula and Pyracantha coccinea.
Viburnum tinus, Elaeagnus pungens and Ligustrum ovalifolium on the other hand showed little damage.

International Conference on Urban Horticulture

M. Devecchi, D. Remotti

de-icing salts, ornamental shrubs, cover ground, growth evaluation.

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2004.643.18