Yield and Chemical Composition of Coastal Bermudagrass, Rhodesgrass and Volunteer Species Grown on Saline and Nonsaline Soils
Citation
Gonzalez, C. L., & Heilman, M. D. (1977). Yield and chemical composition of coastal bermudagrass, rhodesgrass and volunteer species grown on saline and nonsaline soils. Journal of Range Management, 30(3), 227-230.Publisher
Society for Range ManagementJournal
Journal of Range ManagementDOI
10.2307/3897477Additional Links
https://rangelands.org/Abstract
Yields and chemical composition of coastal Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.) and Rhodesgrass (Chloris gayana Kunth) grown on saline and nonsaline soils were investigated in the nonirrigated region of the Rio Grande Valley of south Texas. Forage production (3-years average) was 12.9 and 13.8 metric tons per hectare (MT/ha) for coastal Bermudagrass and 16.3 and 13.5 MT/ha for Rhodesgrass in nonsaline and saline soils, respectively, as compared with 7.7 and 7.2 MT/ha for voluntary grasses and forbs. The higher yields of coastal Bermudagrass in saline vs nonsaline soils indicates its greater salt tolerance. Soil salinity did not affect the chemical composition or crude protein content of either grass. Chemical composition of grasses varied yearly, but changes between saline and nonsaline soil treatments followed the same general trend. Growing grasses on saline soils established a mulch on the soil surface and reduced evaporation, but this was not a successful soil reclamation practice, because moisture extraction by roots from saline soil profile caused salt accumulation in the root zone.Type
textArticle
Language
enISSN
0022-409Xae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.2307/3897477