Tolerance of Tall Fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) Growing in Extensive Green Roof Systems to Saline Water Irrigation with Varying Leaching Fractions

Abstract

As urbanization intensifies environmental challenges in contemporary cities, widespread green roof installations emerge as a potential solution. This study explores irrigating tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) turfgrass with saline water in extensive green roof systems, aiming to conserve freshwater resources. The objectives include determining the period of saline water tolerance and identifying the leachate electrical conductivity threshold affecting tall fescue’s green coverage. This greenhouse study comprised 24 lysimeters equipped with extensive green roof layering. Treatments included three NaCl irrigation solutions with an electrical conductivity of 3 dS m−1, 6 dS m−1, and 9 dS m−1, while tap water served as the control. Additionally, irrigation treatments were applied at two different regimes, resulting in an average leaching fraction of 0.3 for the low irrigation regime and 0.5 for the high irrigation regime. Tall fescue’s tolerance to saline water was evaluated through the determination of green turf cover (GTC) as well as the clipping dry weight and the leachate electrical conductivity (ECL) draining from the lysimeters. It was found that tall fescue turfgrass growing in extensive green roof systems can tolerate irrigation with water of electrical conductivity up to 9 dS m−1 for extended periods, approximating three months, without GTC declining below 90%, provided that a minimum leaching of 30% is maintained. Furthermore, irrigating with water at 9 dS m−1 resulted in a 24.5% reduction in cumulative clipping dry weight over the four-month study period. The regression analysis between GTC and ECL highlighted a substantial decline in GTC when ECL surpassed the critical threshold of 12.5 dS m−1.