Effect of soil salinity and soil water availability on growth and chemical composition ofSorghum halepense L.

Abstract

Effects of soil salinity and soil water regime on growth and chemical composition ofSorghum halepense L. was studied with a view to evaluating its potential as a forage crop in saline soils. The experiment was conducted under controlled conditions using pot-culture with three levels of soil salinity (ECe 0.5, 5.0, 10.0 ds/m) and three soil water regimes (60%, 40% and 20% of water holding capacity of the soil). High soil salinity and low soil water combiningly had an adverse effect on plant growth but the biomass production was appreciably high (57 to 75% of control) even under high soil salinity (ECe 10 ds/m) when sufficient water was available. Belowground plant parts were relatively more salt-tolerant than shoots. There occurred an increase in the concentration of certain nutrients (N, Ca, Mg, TNC) in the plants in response to salinity, which along with increased root: shoot ratios was inferred as an adaptive feature of the plant for persistence under saline conditions.