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Use of Leptochloa fusca for the Improvement of Salt-Affected Soils

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 October 2008

Ashok Kumar
Ashok Kumar
Affiliation:
Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, Karnal-132-001, India
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Summary

The grass Leptocloa fusca is very useful on salt-affected soils as it can tolerate extremely saline and alkaline conditions, Since its growth is not affected by gypsum application, planting with Leptochloa is a good biological method for the reclamation of alkaline soils. It is also well adapted to the waterlogging encountered on saline and alkaline soils, and improves the soil's physical, chemical and biological properties so that within two or three years many commercial and forage crops can be grown. Leptochloa excretes salts through specialized glands and is therefore reasonably palatable to farm animals. Because of its vigorous growth on alkaline soils it does not allow satisfactory growth of companion trees, especially in the initial years of soil reclamation.

Type
Research Article
Information
Experimental Agriculture , Volume 32 , Issue 2 , April 1996 , pp. 143 - 149
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1996

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References

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