Identifying suitable grass species for saline areas

Abstract

The salt tolerance of 20 lines of perennial grasses, including both native Australian and introduced species, was evaluated in 3 separate experiments over 0-180 mol Na Cl/m3 in the greenhouse, with the aim of identifying material that may be grown productively in saline areas in Australia, particularly the Murray- Darling Basin. Lolium perenne cv. Victorian, a species that is recognised as having a moderate level of salt tolerance, was included in all experiments as a reference species. In relative terms (as defined by the rate of the decline in dry matter production under saline conditions), only 5 species or cultivars (Psathyrostachys juncea cvv. Mankota, Tetracan and Vinall, Pascopyrum smithii cv. Walsh and Thinopyrum elongatum cv. Tyrell) were more salt tolerant than L. perenne cv. Victorian. However, several species including the native species Enteropogon acicularis and Themeda triandra, and the introduced species Eragrostis curvula cv. Consol and Thinopyrum elongatum, produced more dry matter than L. perenne over NaCl concentrations ranging from 0 to 180 mol/m3. The salt tolerance of Danthonia richardsonii was very similar to that of L. perenne. It was concluded that Psathyrostachys juncea, Pascopyrum smithii, Enteropogon acicularis and D. richardsonii, may offer potential as salt-tolerant germplasm, however, further field studies are recommended in order to fully assess the response of this material to saline soil conditions.