Effects of Salt Treatments on the Production and Chemical Composition of Salt Wort (Salicornia herbacea L.), Rhodesgrass and Alfalfa

Abstract

The possibility of using salt wort (Salicornia herbacea L.) in a saline environment as a forage crop was examined compared to rhodesgrass and alfalfa. Rhodesgrass (Chloris gayana Kunth.var. Natsuwakaba), alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.var. Katanbora) and salt wort plants were irrigated with saline water at various NaCl concentrations (alfalfa: 500, 1, 000 and 3, 000, rhodesgrass: 500, 1, 000, 3, 000, 10, 000 and 30, 000 ppm, salt wort: 1, 000 3, 000 and 30, 000 ppm) during the growing season to analyze the chemical composition, nutrient absorption and TDN (total digestible nutrients) content of plants. Salt wort showed higher percentages of crude protein and minerals compared to alfalfa and rhodesgrass. The shoot growth of alfalfa under 3, 000 ppm NaCl irrigation was inhibited remarkably, resulting in the death of most of the plants. The dry weight of rhodesgrass shoots decreased at harvest, in the high NaCl concentration treatment, while salt wort showed a higher salt tolerance, compared to that of alfalfa and rhodesgrass. Therefore it is concluded that salt wort is an important plant for use as a forage crop in areas where the cultivation of forage crops is difficult due to the influence of salt.