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| Tolerance of floricultural crops to salinity | |
| The greenhouse and nursery industries are facing increasing pressures from restrictions concerning the release of effluents high in salts and nutrients, to the surrounding aquifers and water courses. The same pressure is directed at restricting the utilization of high quality water thus creating the need (and cost) filtration and water treatment to improve the quality of local water resources for use in irrigation. At the same time, the condition of water resources in many areas is deteriorating due to the build-up of salts and other contaminants. Research conducted by the ARS (agricultural Research Service) in on behalf of the USDA has looked at the possibility of identifying commonly grown plant species tolerant to saline conditions that will yield high quality, commercially acceptable crops when irrigated with saline wastewater. In the case of lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflorum) premium quality stems were produced using saline irrigation water with electrical conductivities of 8 dS/m. Quality based on flower complexity, plant height and overall appearance, In the case of statice (Limonium sinuatum and L. perezii) stem length and inflorescence diameter were reduced by the application of salt. Marketable stems of L. perezii were produced at 15 and of L. sinuatum at 20 dS/m. For two varieties of stock (Mattiola incana) 100% of the stems were rated as premium quality irrespective of salt concentrations of 2.5, 5 and 8 dS/m. 100% of the stems produced in the 11 and 14 dS/m treatment were of marketable quality. The height of sunflower stems (Helianthus annuus) was reduced by salinity. However flower diameter was unaffected. Stem length was still rated as marketable in all treatments. In two varieties of celosia (Celosia argentea vars. Cristata), increased salinity (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 dS/m) effectively reduced stem length from 140 to 60 cm. Flower quality slightly increased at the higher salt concentrations. ARS 2006 Annual Report, Research Project “Production of Floriculture Crops Using Saline Wastewaters, Run-Off, and Recycled Greenhouse Effluents” www.ars.usda.gov |
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