Survival and development of Salicornia and Sarcocornia
transplant from natural conditions to drip seawater irrigation plots
Erika Santos1*, Joana Pacheco1, Aldina Diogo1, Domitília Marques1, Marco Lopes2, Susana Mendes1,2, Miguel Salazar1,2
1Centro
de Investigação em Ciências do Ambiente e Empresariais, Instituto Superior D. Afonso III, Loulé - Portugal. [email protected]
2Agro-on – Qualidade e Inovação Agro-Alimentar, Faro - Portugal
INTRODUCTION: There are environmental and economic interests in the cultivation of some halophytes. The increase of salinity can lead the inhibition of
the growth and, consequently, the reduction of the crops yield of halophytes. Thus, the adaptation of conventional agro-technique to the specific conditions of
soils, estuary water, halophytes species and even ecotypes is essential.
OBJECTIVE: to evaluate the survival and growth of Salicornia and Sarcoconia transplants from natural conditions to levee and
saltmarsh soils irrigated with estuary water.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
 Natural transplants (plants with 8 – 10 cm of height) from Nature Reserve of Saltmarshes from Castro Marim e Vila Real de Santo António (SE of Portugal)  Salicornia
ramosissima J. Woods, Salicornia patula Duval-Jouvé, Sarcocornia perennis (Miller) A.J. Scott subsp. perennis
 Mesocosm assay (from May to August)
Two trial sites: levee (structures that separate the salt evaporation ponds); secondary saltmarsh (typical saltmarshes which no longer suffer the influence of the tide due to
construction of protection dykes along the Guadiana River in the 30’s)
 Plots (0.30 x 0.90 m): Soil prepared with a harrow drag, with existing mulch incorporation and further manual refinement
 Irrigation: water from estuary at 28 mm/day with electrical conductivity (EC) C of 54.0 – 84.4 dS/m for levee and 61.3 – 83.3 dS/m for saltmarsh
 Sampling and analyses:

Soil characterisation
Plant survival  weekly until have no more dead individuals
When plants reached 15 cm of height  sampling of whole plant  Separation roots and shoots  analyses of growth (length of the main root, fresh and dry weight of roots and shoot)
30
Roots
Fresh weight
25
20
15
10
5
Dry weigth
25
20
15
10
Roots biomass (g/plant)
Shoots
2
30
Shoots biomass (g/plant)
Length of roots and shoots (cm)
Plants from natural conditions (without irrigation)  control
Fresh weight
1.8
Dry weigth
1.6
1.4
1.2
1
0.8
0.6
0.4
5
0.2
0
Levee Saltmarsh Natural
Levee Saltmarsh Natural
Salicornia patula
Salicornia ramosissima
Levee Saltmarsh
Levee
Saltmarsh Natural
Salicornia patula
Sarcocornia perennis
Figure 1 – Roots and shoots lengths of Salicornia and
Sarcocornia species growing in mesocosm experiment (levee
and saltmarsh) and natural conditions (mean, n=3)
RESULTS
0
0
Levee
Saltmarsh Natural
Salicornia ramosissima
Levee
Sarcocornia perennis
Figure 2 – Roots biomass (fresh and dry weight) of Salicornia
and Sarcocornia species growing in mesocosm experiment
(levee and saltmarsh) and natural conditions (mean, n=3)
Table 1 – Chemical characterization of soils from levee and saltmarsh
before implementation of mesocosm assay
Levee
Saltmarsh
pH in saturated paste extract
8.4
7.5
EC in saturated paste extract (dS/m)
4.62
54.0
Organic matter (g/kg)
21.7
11.5
Total carbonates (g/kg)
< 30
< 30
5
1
Extractable K (mg/kg)
565
906
Extractable P (mg/kg)
11
23
Nitric N (mg/kg)
35.6
14.7
K
1.4
9.5
Mg
11.4
134.8
Na
7.6
475.6
Carbonates
1.3
< Dl
Chlorides
6.8
549.7
Nitrates
< 0.2
< 0.2
Sulfates
52.5
135.9
Levee Saltmarsh Natural
Levee Saltmarsh Natural
Salicornia patula
Salicornia ramosissima
Levee Saltmarsh
Sarcocornia perennis
Figure 3 – Shoots biomass (fresh and dry weight) of
Salicornia and Sarcocornia species growing in mesocosm
experiment (levee and saltmarsh) and natural conditions
(mean, n=3)
→ The high temperature during the experiment and
absence of rainfall in winter (which leached the salts into the
Table 2 – Transplantation survival rate (%) of Salicornia and
Sarcocornia plants growing in mesocosm experiment (levee
and saltmarsh) (mean (1 S.E.), n=3)
Species
Levee
Saltmarsh
S. patula
43.2 (7.5)
59.3 (9.3)
Total concentration in saturated paste extract (meq/L)
Ca
Saltmarsh
S. ramosissima
S. perennis
32.1 (6.9)
28.4 (5.4)
50.6 (6.2)
50.6 (5.4)
EC: electrical conductivity; Dl: detection limit
soils) can justified the low survival rates for all the species.
→ Independently of the species, transplantation survival
rate was slight higher in the saltmarsh than levee (Table 2).
→ Due to the soil characteristics (lower EC and higher
fertility; Table 1), the transplants of all species showed the
highest growth (length of roots and shoots and biomass of
roots and shoots; Figures 1 - 3).
→ The irrigation with estuary water of levee soil promoted
the development of shoots and roots from all the species,
compared to the natural conditions (Figures 1 and 2).
CONCLUSIONS: The development of Salicornia crops in levee soil with transplants
→ More studies should be done to improve the survival rate
irrigated with estuary water can be a efficient solution.
and growth of plants, specially in saltmarsh soil.
Acknowledgments: This study was co-funded by the project “Cultivo sustentável de halófitas na Reserva Natural do Sapal de Castro Marim e Vila Real de Santo
António” from Programa POAlgarve 21. We thank the participation of technical team of ICNF/RNSCMVRSA.