Evaluation of Alfalfa and Grass Species in Binary and Quaternary Mixtures for Salinity Control in the Dark Brown Soil Zone of Saskatchewan
Date
2021-03-16
Authors
Darambazar, Enkhjargal
Biligetu, Bill
Schoenau, Jeff
Damiran, Daalkhaijav
Lardner, Bart H.A.
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Abstract
Objective of this study was to evaluate forage yield, quality, botanical composition, persistence, and weed density of salt tolerant forage mixtures in saline soil. An area representing a gradient of soil salinity near the Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence in Clavet, SK was seeded on June 27, 2019 using the 4 forage mixtures: a saline tolerant cultivar of alfalfa (cv. Halo Medicago sativa L., HaALF) in binary mixtures with creeping meadow foxtail (cv. Garrison Alopecurus arundinaceus Poir.; CRF) or smooth bromegrass (cv. Carlton Bromus inermis Leyss.; SBG) or slender wheatgrass (cv. Revenue Agropyron trachycaulum Malte; SWG) and in quaternary mixture with the three grasses (CRF, SBG, and SWG) in a Randomized Complete Block Design with 4 replications (n=4). Soil samples at 0-15, 15-30, and 30-60-cm depths were taken in the spring 2019 for soil nutrients (N, P, K, and S), particulate organic carbon (POC), moisture, pH, and electrical conductivity (EC) measurements. Stand establ ishment, botanical composition, weeds including foxtail barley (Hordeum jubatum L.), forage yield, and quality were determined in the fall 2020. Soils were loamy (sand: 47.9 ± 5.72%; silt: 45.5 ± 5.61%; and clay: 6.6 ± 2.09%) with EC (6.6 ± 1.04 dS/m), POC (1.2 ± 0.73% DM), and pH (7.8 ± 0.13). The magnitude of EC at 30-60 cm depth was lower (P < 0.05) (5.9 dS/m) than either at 0-15 cm (7.2 dS/m) and 15-30 cm (6.9 dS/m) and the highest POC (P < 0.05) was accumulated at 0-15 cm (2.12%) and the lowest at 30-60 cm (0.52%). Overall, the soil at the trial site was moderately saline (EC 4 - 8 dS/m and pH < 8.5). The spring soil fertility as available nitrate-N, phosphate-P, and potassium at 0-30-cm depth were 5.4, 19.6, and 741.6 kg/ha, respectively. Binary mixtures did not differ in stand establishment (P > 0.05; avg. 78.8%) and were ~15% greater than quaternary mixture (68.8%). Likewise, no difference was observed (P > 0.05) among treatments on DMY. However, based o n DMY, treatments can be ranked as HaALF “ SWG (3210 kg/ha) < HaALF “ SBG (3543 kg/ha) < HaALF “ CRF “ SBG “ SWG (3599 kg/ha) < HaALF “ CRF (4148 kg/ha) with latter produced 15 to 29% greater relative to the other mixtures. Weeds including foxtail barley occupied 16.3-33.1% of total DMY. Revenue SWG in mixture with HaALF had less weed infestation, while Carlton SBG mixed with HaALF was more susceptible to weeds. The preliminary results suggested that Halo alfalfa – Garrison creeping meadow foxtail mixture could be a viable alternative for increasing forage production and controlling salinity on moderate saline soil in the Dark Brown soil zone of Saskatchewan.
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Keywords
Salt-affected Soil, Salt Tolerance, Saline, Alfalfa
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Part Of
Soils and Crops Workshop