Abstract
Salinity is a major problem affecting crop production in many regions in the world including Morocco. Agricultural practices such as fertilization could be useful to overcome this problem and improve crop productivity. The objective of our study was to evaluate the combined effect of phosphorus fertilization and irrigation water salinity on growth, yield, and stomatal conductance of forage corn (Zea mays L.) cv. “Sy sincerro”. Field experiments were carried out for two years testing four levels of irrigation water salinity (ECw = 0.7; 2, 4, and 6 dS·m−1) and three rates of phosphorus (105, 126, and 150 kg P2O5·ha−1) fertilization conducted in a split-plot design with three replications. The obtained results show that irrigation water salinity had a negative effect on all monitored parameters. For instance, the dry matter yield reduced by an average of 19.3 and 25.1% compared to the control under saline irrigation with an EC value equal to 4 and 6 dS·m−1, respectively. The finding also showed that phosphorus applications tend to increase root weight, root length, stem length, leaf stomatal conductance, grain yield and dry matter yield under salinity conditions. For example, the addition of phosphorus with a rate of 126 and 150 kg P2O5·ha−1 respectively improved dry matter yield by an average of 4 and 9% under low salinity level (ECw = 2 dS·m−1), by 4 and 15% under medium salinity (4 dS·m−1), and by 6 and 8% under a high salinity level (6 dS·m−1). Our finding suggests that supplementary P application could be one of the best practices to reduce the adverse effects of high salinity on growth and development of forage corn.
Highlights
Salinity is a major constraint that limits crop production in many regions of the world
Our finding suggests that supplementary P application could be one of the best practices to reduce the adverse effects of high salinity on growth and development of forage corn
The interaction effect was significant for shoot fresh weight and plant dry weight in 2019 and for plant dry weight, dry matter yield and grain yield in 2020
Summary
Salinity is a major constraint that limits crop production in many regions of the world. It is estimated that approximately 20% of cultivated land in the world and 33% of irrigated land, are salt-affected and degraded [1]. Soil salinity is increasing in many parts of the world and has become a serious economic and environmental constraint limiting agricultural productivity and profitability, reducing water and nutrient-use efficiencies, and causing land abandonment and desertification. Salinization is the main cause of soil degradation in irrigated areas induced by several factors: arid climate, use of saline water for irrigation, poor drainage system, over-irrigation, and misuse of fertilizers and phytosanitary products. Soil salinity is a major problem in the Mediterranean region where 27.3 million ha of soil have been salt-affected with 7.3 million ha in Morocco, Spain, Tunisia, and Turkey [3].
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