Register      Login
Crop and Pasture Science Crop and Pasture Science Society
Plant sciences, sustainable farming systems and food quality
Shopping Cart: ( empty )
You are here: Home > Journals > CP > CP08123 > Fulltext
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 60(1)

The influence of NaCl salinity and hypoxia on aspects of growth in Trifolium species*

M. E. Rogers A B H , T. D. Colmer A C , K. Frost A C , D. Henry A D , D. Cornwall A B , E. Hulm A D , S. Hughes A E , P. G. H. Nichols A C F and A. D. Craig A G
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Cooperative Research Centre for Future Farm Industries, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.

B Department of Primary Industries Victoria, Tatura, Vic. 3616, Australia.

C School of Plant Biology, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.

D CSIRO Livestock Industries, Wembley, WA 6913, Australia.

E South Australian Research and Development Institute, Waite Institute, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia.

F Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia, Locked Bag 4, Bentley Delivery Centre, WA 6983, Australia.

G South Australian Research and Development Institute, Struan Agricultural Centre, Naracoorte, SA 5271, Australia.

H Corresponding author. Email: MaryJane.Rogers@dpi.vic.gov.au

Crop and Pasture Science 60(1) 71-82 https://doi.org/10.1071/CP08123
Submitted: 14 April 2008  Accepted: 8 September 2008   Published: 5 January 2009

Abstract

The effects of salinity and hypoxia on growth, nutritive value, and ion relations were evaluated in 38 species of Trifolium and 3 check legume species (Trifolium fragiferum, Trifolium michelianum, and Medicago sativa) under glasshouse conditions, with the aim of identifying species that may be suitable for saline and/or waterlogged conditions. In the first set of experiments, plants were grown hydroponically at four NaCl concentrations (0, 40, 80, and 160 mm NaCl) and harvested after exposure to these treatments for 4 weeks. NaCl concentrations up to 160 mm reduced dry matter production in most species; however, there were differences in salt tolerance among species, with T. argutum, T. diffusum, T. hybridum, and T. ornithopodioides performing well under the saline conditions (dry matter production was reduced by less than 20%). Concentrations of Na+ and Cl− in the shoots increased with increasing salinity levels, and species again differed in their capacity to limit the uptake of these ions. Dry matter digestibility at 0 mm ranged from 49.8% (T. palaestinum) to 74.0% (T. vesiculosum) and decreased with increasing NaCl concentrations. A second set of experiments evaluated the tolerance of Trifolium species to hypoxic conditions in the glasshouse. Shoot growth, and to a lesser extent root growth, were reduced in all Trifolium species when plants were exposed to stagnant, non-aerated conditions for 28 days, but T. michelianum, T. resupinatum, T. squamosum, T. nigrescens, T. ornithopodioides, T. salmoneum, and T. fragiferum were the least affected species. All species acclimated to the oxygen-depleted conditions by increasing the gas-filled porosity in the roots. This study has provided information that will assist in the identification of forage species for saline and/or waterlogged areas.

Additional keywords: salt tolerance, clovers, anaerobic conditions, digestibility, Na+/K+ ratio, pasture legumes.


Acknowledgments

We thank Dr Lynley Stone, Mr Kevin Kelly, and an anonymous referee for providing valuable comments on the manuscript. This research was funded by the CRC Future Farm Industries and the relevant partner organisations.


References


Agricultural Research Council (ARC) (1984) ‘The nutrient requirements of ruminant livestock.’ (CABI: London)

ANKOM-TECHNOLOGY (1998) ‘Method for determining acid detergent fibre.’ (ANKOM Technology Corporation Publication: Fairport, New York)

Ashraf M, McNeilly T, Bradshaw AD (1986) The response to NaCl and ionic content of selected salt-tolerant and normal lines of three legume forage species in sand culture. New Phytologist 104, 463–471.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Barrett-Lennard EG (2003) The interaction between waterlogging and salinity in higher plants: causes, consequences and implications. Plant and Soil 253, 35–54.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Bennett SJ, Virtue JG (2004) Salinity mitigation versus weed risks—can conflicts of interest in introducing new plants be resolved? Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 44, 1141–1156.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Charman N , Ballard R , Craig A (2006) Melilotus siculus (syn messanensis) is constrained by a lack of suitable rhizobia. In ‘Proceedings of the 13th Australian Agronomy Conference’. 11–14 September 2006, Perth, Western Australia. (Eds N Turner, T Arcuna, R Johnson) (Australian Society of Agronomy)

Faichney GJ , White GA (1983) ‘Methods for the analysis of feeds eaten by ruminants.’ (CSIRO, Division of Animal Production: Melbourne, Vic.)

Frame J , Laidlaw AS (2007) Temperate forage legumes for adverse conditions. CAB Reviews: Perspectives in agriculture, Veterinary Science, Nutrition and Natural Resources 2, No. 010.

Francis CM, Devitt AC (1969) The effect of waterlogging on the growth and isoflavone concentration of Trifolium subterraneum. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 20, 819–825.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Gauch HG, Magistad OC (1943) Growth of strawberry clover varieties and of alfalfa and ladino clover as affected by salt. Agronomy Journal 35, 871–880.
|  CAS |
open url image1

Gibberd MR, Cocks PS (1997) Effect of waterlogging and soil pH on the micro-distribution of naturalised annual legumes. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 48, 223–229.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Gibberd MR, Colmer TD, Cocks PS (1999) Root porosity and oxygen movement in waterlogging-tolerant Trifolium tomentosum and – intolerant Trifolium glomeratum. Plant, Cell & Environment 22, 1161–1168.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Gibberd MR, Gray JD, Cocks PS, Colmer TD (2001) Waterlogging tolerance among a diverse range of Trifolium accessions is related to root porosity, lateral root formation and ‘aerotropic rooting’. Annals of Botany 88, 579–589.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Heinrichs DH (1970) Flooding tolerance of legumes. Canadian Journal of Plant Science 50, 435–438. open url image1

Karmoker JL, Van Steveninck RFM (1978) Stimulation of volume flow and ion flux by abscisic acid in excised root systems of Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. Redland Pioneer. Planta 141, 37–43.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Klein L , Baker SK (1993) Composition of the fractions of dry, mature subterranean clover digested in vivo and in vitro. In ‘XVII International Grasslands Congress’. New Zealand. pp. 593–595. (Keeling and Mundy Ltd.: Palmerston North, New Zealand)

Läuchli A (1984) Salt exclusion: an adaptation of legumes for crops and pastures under saline conditions. In ‘Salinity tolerance in plants: strategies for crop improvement’. (Ed. RC Staples) pp. 171–187. (Wiley: New York)

Maas EV, Hoffman GJ (1977) Crop salt tolerance—current assessment. Journal of the Irrigation and Drainage Division 103, 115–134. open url image1

Marañón T, Garcia LV, Troncoso A (1989) Salinity and germination of annual Melilotus from the Guadalquivir delta. Plant and Soil 119, 223–228.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Munns R (2005) Genes and salt tolerance: bringing them together. New Phytologist 167, 645–663.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | PubMed | open url image1

Nichols PGH, Craig AD, Rogers ME, Albertsen TO, Miller SM, McClements DR, Hughes SJ, D’Antuono MF, Dear BS (2008a) Production and persistence of annual pasture legumes at five saline sites in southern Australia. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 48, 518–535.
| Crossref |
open url image1

Nichols PGH, Loi A, Nutt BJ, Evans PM, Craig AD , et al.. (2007) New annual and short-lived perennial pasture legumes for Australian agriculture—15 years of revolution. Field Crops Research 104, 10–23.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Nichols PGH, Rogers ME, Craig AD, Albertsen TO, Miller SM, McClements DR, Hughes SJ, D’Antuono MF, Dear BS (2008b) Production and persistence of temperate perennial grasses and legumes at five saline sites in southern Australia. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 48, 536–552.
| Crossref |
open url image1

Pitman MG (1976) Ion uptake by plant roots. In ‘Transport in plants II. Part B. Encyclopaedia of plant physiology. NS Vol. 2’. (Eds V Luttge, MG Pitman) pp. 95–128. (Springer Verlag: Dordrecht,The Netherlands)

Raskin I (1983) A method for measuring leaf volume, density, thickness and internal gas volume. HortScience 18, 698–699. open url image1

Rogers ME, Colmer TD, Frost K, Henry D, Cornwall D, Hulm E, Deretic J, Hughes SR, Craig AD (2008) Diversity in the genus Melilotus for tolerance to salinity and waterlogging. Plant and Soil 304, 89–101.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Rogers ME, Craig AD, Munns R, Colmer TD, Nichols PGH , et al. (2005) The potential for developing fodder plants for the salt-affected areas of southern and eastern Australia: an overview. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 45, 301–329.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Rogers ME, Noble CL, Halloran GM, Nicolas ME (1997b) Selecting for salt tolerance in white clover (Trifolium repens L.): chloride ion exclusion and its heritability. New Phytologist 135, 645–654.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Rogers ME, Noble CL, Pederick RJ (1997a) Identifying suitable temperate forage legume species for saline area. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 37, 639–645.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Rogers ME, West DW (1993) The effects of rootzone salinity and hypoxia on shoot and root growth in Trifolium species. Annals of Botany 72, 503–509.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Rogers VE (1974) The response of lucerne cultivars to levels of waterlogging. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 14, 520–525.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Rumbaugh MD, Pendery BM, James DW (1993) Variation in the salinity tolerance of strawberry clover (Trifolium fragiferum L). Plant and Soil 153, 265–271.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Thomson CJ, Armstrong W, Waters I, Greenway H (1990) Aerenchyma formation and associated oxygen movement in seminal and nodal roots of wheat. Plant, Cell & Environment 13, 395–404.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

West DW, Taylor JA (1981) Germination and growth of cultivars of Trifolium subterraneum L. in the presence of sodium chloride salinity. Plant and Soil 62, 221–230.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Zohary M , Heller D (1984) ‘The genus Trifolium.’ (The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities: Jerusalem, Israel)









*This is one of the three papers to be published in Crop & Pasture Science from the Second International Salinity Forum held in Adelaide, South Australia, 30 March–3 April 2008. These papers deal with salinity management and include studies on perennial-based farming systems, pasture legumes and woody perennials. A full set of papers from the Congress is available on the website: www.internationalsalinityforum.org/14_final.html.