THE GROWTH RESPONSE OF CALIFORNIA NATIVE GRASSES TO SALINE SPRINKLER IRRIGATION

Five California native grass species commonly used in California landscapes were examined for their growth response to salinity spray.
Mature plants were sprinkler irrigated with deionized (DI) water, low salt (500 mgL^-1 NaCl) and high salt solutions (1500 mgL^-1 NaCl) under greenhouse conditions at the University of California, Davis for 20 weeks.
Two growth parameters, the percentage of leaf chlorosis and shoot dry weight, were measured to determine the relative tolerance rankings of the five species to salt stress.
Shoot tissue concentrations of Na⁺, Cl^–, K⁺ and Ca²⁺ were also measured.
As expected, all five species were found to be suitable for sprinkler irrigation with saline water of 500 mgL^-1 NaCl with respect to shoot dry weight production.
Above that level, Deschampsia cespitosa, Melica californica and Nassella pulchra produced significantly less shoot dry weight than their respective controls relative to the remaining species, Muhlenbergia rigens and Sporobolus airoides. Muhlenbergia rigens and Sporobolus airoides had relatively lower concentrations of Na⁺ and Cl^–, were better able to maintain healthy levels of K⁺ and Ca2⁺ and were therefore, not as susceptible to damage by sprinkler irrigation with saline water at the salt levels studied.

IV International Symposium on Irrigation of Horticultural Crops

K.A. Marcotte, L. Wu, D.E. Rains, J.H. Richards

salt, NaCl, shoot growth, chlorosis, appearance, grasses

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2004.664.48