Agronomic and physiological response of giant reed (Arundo donax L.) to soil salinity

Abstract

The soil salinity increase in the Mediterranean basin is one of the consequences of the climate change. The aim of this study was to evaluate the adaptability of giant reed (Arundo donax L.) to salinity, in conditions of higher temperatures, in order to hypothesise the future use of giant reed under these conditions. The trial was carried out in pots under a permanent metal structure, open on the sides and with a clear PE on the top. Four levels of soil salinity in the range 3.3-15.5 dS m -1 were imposed. The stem number of the most stressed treatment was about 45% lower than the control and also the stem height was lower than in all other treatments. The green and yellow leaf number decreased as the soil salinity increased, and their sum was significantly lower in the two most stressed treatments. Osmotic potential of the leaf sap was not affected by salinity. Leaf water potential and stomatal conductance in the saline treatments were lower than in the control. Assimilation rate showed similar pattern of stomatal conductance. Intrinsic WUE remained almost stable until July and increased during August under the most stressful conditions. PSII photochemistry was not affected by soil salinity. Biomass yield was not different from the control until to soil ECe 12.0 dS m -1 : only the most stressed treatment (15.5 dS m -1 ) caused yield losses (50%). Tolerance threshold to salinity was 11.2 dS m -1 and the relative yield losses were 11.6% per dS m -1 .

Plant-Based Protein Hydrolysate Improves Salinity Tolerance in Hemp: Agronomical and Physiological Aspects

“…As pointed out above, the decline in growth and yield in salt stressed crops could be ascribed to reduced water uptake resulting from osmotic stress [25,69] as well as to interference with different aspects of the plant physiology among which pigment synthesis and photosynthetic metabolism [70]. Photosynthesis is linked to plant biomass as about 10-40% of the energy goes into biomass accumulation under favorable conditions [40].…”

“…The saline stress can occur through (i) osmotic stress, caused by the decrease of soil water potential and subsequent reduced water absorption by roots [25]; (ii) nutritional stress, due to modification in nutrient uptake; (iii) toxic stress, mainly linked to salt concentration [26,27]; (iv) oxidative stress [28].…”

The Potential Application of Giant Reed (Arundo donax) in Ecological Remediation

“…Giant reed is suitable for energy production because of the high biomass yield, which can reach to 37.7 t dry matter per ha and per year (Angelini et al, 2009). Among the different biomass crops for producing renewable energy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions due to fossil fuels, the giant reed is considered the best candidate (Di Mola et al, 2018). It is an ideal plant for dealing with extreme situations of soil conditions and water availability (Figure 1).…”

“…Halophytes show the greatest potential to ameliorate bauxite residues (Xue et al, 2016). At present, giant reed is not considered to be a halophyte because it mainly invades freshwater habitats, but its salt tolerance has been confirmed (Pompeiano et al, 2017;Sánchez et al, 2017;Di Mola et al, 2018). Giant reed exhibits high tolerance to saline conditions and significant adaptability to salt accumulation in the soil (Verslues et al, 2006).…”

Rhizosphere Bacterial Communities of Arundo Donax Grown in Soil Fertilised with Sewage Sludge and Agricultural by-Products

“…Giant reed is char-acterised by vigorous growth and the production of a huge amount of biomass. The species is also known for high phytoremediation potential (Alshaal et al 2014) and ability to growth in saline (Di Mola et al 2018), contaminated or other marginal soils (Pilu et al 2012). Although A. donax can grow in poor soils, fertilisation positively affects the yield of above-ground biomass.…”