Growth and nitrogen fixation of legumes at increased salinity under field conditions: implications for the use of green manures in saline environments
Bruning, B.; van Logtestijn, R.; Broekman, R.; de Vos, A.; Parra Gonzàlez, A.; Rozema, J. (2015). Growth and nitrogen fixation of legumes at increased salinity under field conditions: implications for the use of green manures in saline environments. AoB Plants 7: plv010. dx.doi.org/10.1093/aobpla/plv010 In: AoB Plants. Oxford University Press: Oxford. ISSN 2041-2851; e-ISSN 2041-2851, more |   |
| Keyword | | | Author keywords | Halophytes; Melilotus officinalis; salinity; Sesbania; symbiotic nitrogen fixation |
| Authors | | Top | - Bruning, B.
- van Logtestijn, R.
- Broekman, R.
| - de Vos, A., more
- Parra Gonzàlez, A.
- Rozema, J.
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| Abstract | The use of legumes as green manure can potentially increase crop productivity in saline environmentsand thus contribute to the sustainability of agricultural systems. Here, we present results from a field experimentconducted in the Netherlands that addressed the efficiency of nitrogen (N) fixation by a legume at varying salinities.We grew Melilotus officinalis in an agricultural field using drip irrigation with water salinity varying in electrical conductivitybetween 1.7 and 20 dS m21. In the experiment, nearly 100 % of total plant N in M. officinalis was derivedfrom symbiotic fixation at all but the highest salinity level (20 dS m21). Our results indicated that this species derivedsubstantial amounts of N via symbiotic fixation, the N becoming available in the soil (and thus available to crops) whencultivated legumes senesce and decompose. Based on the growth performance of M. officinalis and its ability to fix N atmoderate soil salinity in our field experiments, we identified this species as a promising source for green manure insaline agriculture in temperate regions. |
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