Effect of Salinity on Warm Season Turf Grass Species

Abstract

The demand for salinity tolerant turf grasses is increasing due to augmented use of effluent or low-quality water for turf irrigation. Fresh water, along with soil Stalinization in many locations, has raised the requirement for salt-tolerant turf grass screening. Physiological responses to salinity and relative salt tolerance of Five C4 turf grasses, two variety ofCynodon dactylon(Bermuda grass), Zoysia matrella (Manilla grass), Zoysia japonica(Zoysia Grass) and Paspalum notatum(Bahia grass) were investigated during the study at Department of Horticulture Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture Technology and Science, Prayagraj. Turf grasses were planted in plastic pots filled with sand: cocopeat: vermiculite (2:1:1) and irrigated with different concentration of salinity levels (0.6, 5.0, 10.0, 15 dS m-1). Salinity tolerance was evaluated based on leaf length leaf Wirth leaf firing, shoots and root growth reduction, proline content, total chlorophyll content RGB content and relative water content was subjected to analysis of variance. Among the four turf grass species Bahia grass found to be most salt tolerant turf grass followed by Z. matrella while Zosia japonica was least tolerant turf grass against salt stress.