Use of saline and non-potable water in the turfgrass industry: Constraints and developments

Abstract

The need for salt-tolerant turfgrasses is ever-increasing. Rapid urban population growth has put enormous pressures on limited freshwater supplies. Many state and local governments have reacted by placing restrictions on the use of potable water for irrigating turfgrass landscapes, instead requiring use of reclaimed, or other secondary saline water sources. In coastal areas, overpumping, and resultant salt water intrusion of coastal wells used for irrigating turfgrass facilities has widely occurred. The nature and extent of the salinity problem, followed by basic salinity issues and available management choices, will be discussed. Issues facing the turf manager using saline water sources are soil salinization, resulting in direct salt injury to turf, and secondary problems of loss of soil structure ensuing from sodium and bicarbonate effects, resulting in loss of salt leaching potential and soil anaerobiosis. Management choices for the turf manager using saline water are limited. Soil salinity must be maintained below the level deemed detrimental to the turf, by maintaining sufficient leaching. Sodium/bicarbonate affected soils must be managed to maintain sufficient permeability to permit adequate leaching. Finally, salt tolerant turf species/cultivars must be used. Long-term solutions to the salinity problem will require development of improved salt-tolerant turfgrasses. Progress in cultivar development, and future development of potential alternative halophytic turfgrass species will also be discussed. Media summaryRapid urbanization has resulted in escalating salinity issues facing turfgrass landscapes. The extent of the salinity problem, salinity management issues, including soil salt-leaching and sodicity-permeability management, use of salt tolerant turf cultivars, and future development of salt tolerant turfgrasses will be discussed.

Sporobolus Spicatus, a Potential Turf Grass Under the Climatic Conditions of Uae

“…On the other hand, Uddin et al (2009) found 50% reduction in growth at salinity level of 39.8dSm -1 , whereas, in our case less than 50% growth reduction occurred even at 45 dSm -1 salinity level. Marcum (2006) also found similar pattern of results on Bermuda grass cultivars. According to their results, salinity ranging from 26 to 40 dS m −1 caused 50% reduction in shoot dry weight, indicating a wide range in salinity tolerance within this species.…”

Effect of calcium on reducing salt stress in seed germination and early growth stage of Festuca ovina L.

“…Rapid urban population growth has put enormous pressures on limited freshwater supplies. As water shortages continue to escalate worldwide, use of saline water for turf landscape irrigation will be increasingly necessary (Marcum 2006). Recently, application of fertilizers for reducing plant growth restrictions under salinity stress conditions and for increasing fertility of saline soils have been considered (Astaraei and Forouzan Ghohar 2000).…”

Accuracy of Two Electromagnetic Soil Water Content Sensors in Saline Soils

“…Turfgrass salt tolerances are generally expressed based on EC of the saturated soil paste extract (e.g., Marcum 2006;Leinauer and Green, 2011), and therefore, the soil salinity in this study was expressed as EC of the saturated paste extract. The loamy sand and loam soils were selected to represent major soil types on which turfgrasses are grown in the semiarid and arid southwestern USA.…”