Phyto-reclamation potentials of crops grown in calcareous saline: Sodic soils

Abstract

Saline sodic soils are steadily expanding worldwide due to climatic changes and water shortage especially in arid and semi-arid regions. It is characterized by the occurrence of salt and sodium (Na+) levels that can adversely affect several soil properties and growth of the crops. Hence assessing the phytoreclamation potentials of salt tolerant crops forms an alternate component in the many low cost technologies for the costly chemical reclamation approaches. A greenhouse screening experiment was conducted with various agricultural crops to investigates the ameliorative effect of crops in calcareous saline-sodic soils having varied intensity of saline-sodicity. Eighteen crops viz, Oryza sativa (TRY3), Zea mays (CO6), Eleusine coracana (CO15), Helianthus annuus (CO4), Gossypium hirsutum (MCU13) Amaranthus cruentus (CO1), Medicago sativa (CO2), Sesbania bispinosa (culture), Pennisetum glaucum (CO9), Sorghum bicolor (CO3), Panicum sumatrense (CO1), Paspalum scrobiculatum (CO3), Panicum miliaceum (CO5), Setaria italica (CO7), Echinochloa frumentacea (CO2), Sesamum indicum (CO1), Fodder Zea mays (African tall), Fodder Sorghum bicolor (CO29) were grown in soils having varied levels of natural soil salinity ( EC =< 2, 2-4, 4-6, 6-8 and 8-16 dSm-1). Differential response of crops for saline-sodicity was observed and generally plant growth and biomass production decreased with increasing saline-sodicity. The tissues concentration of Na+ and Cl- ions were increasing with increasing saline-sodicity in contrary to the K+ and Ca2+ absorption which decline with increasing saline-sodicity. Better growth performance, higher Na+ and salt removal potentials of the crops Zea mays and Eleusine coracana indicated their suitability for phytoreclamation of calcareous saline-sodic soils. However the small millets Panicum miliaceum and Setaria italica were highly susceptible to saline-sodicity.