Growth and nutrients content of Atriplex canescens across a soil electric conductivity gradient

Spanish Journal of Agricultural Research

Miguel Mellado¹  José E. García²  Ulices Macías-Cruz³ 

[1] Autonomous Agrarian University Antonio Narro, Dept. Animal Nutrition, Saltillo;Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Autonomous University of Baja California, Mexicali;University of La Laguna, Dept. Botany, Ecology and Plant Physiology. La Laguna, Islas Canarias

关键词: aerial cover;    biomass production;    nutrient content;    rangeland;    soil salinity;   

DOI  :  10.5424/sjar/2018162-12376

学科分类：农业科学（综合）

来源: I N I A

【 摘 要 】

Atriplex canescenscanopy cover, biomass production, and nutrient content were evaluated after four years of livestock grazing exclusion and mechanical shrub removal, exceptA. canescens in an arid rangeland with a slightly saline soil and with a long history of heavy livestock grazing in the southern Chihuahuan Desert, Mexico (24° N). Twenty 3× 3 m paddocks were established in terrains with three levels of electric conductivity (EC): <1.4 dS/m (n=7), 1.4–1.6 dS/m (n=7) and >1.6 dS/m.Atriplex canescenscanopy cover was higher (49.5%;p< 0.01) on paddocks with soil EC >1.6 dS/m than paddocks with soil EC <1.4 and 1.4–1.6 dS/m (32.1 and 22.9%, respectively). Above-ground biomass did not differ between paddocks with soils with EC of <1.4 and 1.4–1.6 dS/m (1309 ± 535 and 1372 ± 180 kg DM/ha), but biomass increased 2.7 times ( p< 0.01) when soil EC was greater than 1.6 dS/m. The soil EC had no effect on the levels of crude protein (range 13.6 to 14.3%), neutral detergent fiber (range 56.5 to 57.7%) and ash (range 14.5 to 16.4%). In vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) of the foliage ofA. canescenswas not affected by of soil EC level (range 60.4 to 62.2%). It was concluded that in an arid rangeland with slight saline soil, the increase in salinity favors canopy cover and biomass production ofA. canescenswithout altering nutrient content and IVDMD of this fodder shrub.

【 授权许可】

Free