Abstract
The effect of climate change upon the distribution of plants and water is potentially severe, especially in arid and semi-arid regions of the world. Drought, attributable in significant part to climate change, is already causing acute water shortages in large parts of the world. Therefore, the utilization of marginal water and seawater is gaining considerable importance in such regions where freshwater is insufficient to develop all potential arable land. Currently, foliar-applied nutrients have limited direct use for the enhancement of stress-resistance mechanisms in plants. To achieve the aforementioned objectives, two pot experiments were conducted in the halophytic greenhouse of the National Research Centre, Dokki, Giza to study the effect of foliar application of potassium fertilizer (0, 20, 40, 60 ppm) on productivity, biochemical composition and some physiological aspects of Sporobolus virginicus (Dixi) plants grown under different levels of seawater irrigation (tap water, 12.5, 37.5, 25.0 and 50.0%). Increasing the saline irrigation level generally increased the content of soluble carbohydrates, proline, sodium, calcium and the value of succulence and osmotic potential (OP) as well as salinity tolerance index (STI), particularly under 50.0% seawater concentration. On the other hand, raising the level of seawater used for irrigation adversely affected the content of potassium as well as the K/Na and Ca/Na ratio. However, moderate concentration of seawater increased biomass production, crop growth rate (CGR) and the content of chlorophyll a + b and crude protein. Foliar application positively affected all the growth and physiological criteria, as well as the salinity tolerance of the tested plants. Foliar application with 60 ppm potassium surpasses the other treatments, especially at high levels of saline irrigation.
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Tawfik, M.M., Ahmed, M.A., Bahr, A.A., El Karamany, M.F., Zeidan, M.S. (2012). Saline Irrigation Management for Sustainable Use . In: Leal Filho, W. (eds) Climate Change and the Sustainable Use of Water Resources. Climate Change Management. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-22266-5_29
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-22266-5_29
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