Productivity of Halophytes Irrigated with Hypersaline Seawater in the Sonoran Desert

Growth and Yield ofSalvadora persica, A Facultative Halophyte Grown on Saline Black Soil (Vertic Haplustept)

“…Though the seed yield declined by about 40-47% at higher salinity, when compared to low salinity (S 1 ), this species still could yield about 1.5 Mg ha À1 seeds on highly saline black soils at S 4 . Glenn et al (1981) reported that halophytes grown in seawater produce onethird the dry matter of fresh water controls. Pasternak et al (1985) reported that a halophyte Atriplex nummularia produced 15-21% of protein when irrigated with seawater, and that other species, namely, A. lentiformis, A. undulata, A. barclayana, and A. atacamensis, were found to grow with seawater.…”

Leaching requirement and salinity threshold for the yield and agronomic characteristics of halophytes under salt stress

“…The sandy characteristics of such areas can facilitate using seawater irrigation of some salt-tolerant conventional crops as well as domestication of wild salt-tolerant plants (halophytes) for seawater production (Boyko, 1966;Somers et al, 1979;Glenn & O'Leary, 1985). They also stated that irrigation field requirements using seawater on sandy soil might be excessive, whereas the dominant system for commercial production uses a leaching fraction to reduce irrigation costs, fertilizer and pesticide leaching, and drainage handling.…”

Water deficit and abscisic acid production ofSalicornia bigeloviiunder salinity stress

“…Salicornia bigelovii is a succulent, C 3 annual species that is found in coastal estuaries and is, arguably, the most salt-tolerant and the most productive species under seawater irrigation (Ayala and O'Leary 1995;Glenn and O'Leary 1985;Glenn et al 1991). It has been used as a model plant to study the salt tolerance of halophytes and as a gene resource to improve crop salinity tolerance.…”