Mineral Concentration of Forage Grasses at Different Salinity Levels of Soil

Mineral Concentration of Forage Grasses

at Different Salinity Levels of Soil

Florentina Kusmiyati*, Sumarsono, Karno, & Eko Pangestu

Faculty of Animal Agriculture, Diponegoro University, Tembalang Campus, Semarang 50275, Indonesia

*e-mail : fkusmiyati@yahoo.co.id

Abstract

Climatic change increase the sea level that causes soil salinization. High salt concentration in soils inhibits crop growth and production The lower limit of sat-uration extract electrical conductivity of saline soil is conventionally set at 4 dS m-1_{. The research was conducted to evaluate mineral concentration of five forage}

grasses (Panicum maximum, Setaria sphacelata, Euchlaena mexicana, Brachiaria brizantha, and Cynodon plectostachyus) at non saline soil (EC = 0,5 dS m-1_{) and}

saline soil (EC= 11 dS m-1_{). The experiment design in this research using split plot}

with forage grasses as main plots and different salinity level of soil (non saline and saline) as sub plots. Sodium concentration of herbage increased significantly (P<0.05) at saline soil. Herbage nitrogen concentration was not different between non saline and saline soil, except for B. brizantha. Forage grasses had similar con-centration of phosphorous at different salinity level of soil, except for S. sphacelata. Potassium concentration of P. maximum S. sphacelata, E. mexicana, B. brizantha, and C. plectostachyus herbage was significantly lower (P<0.05) at saline soil. In conclusion, high salt concentration at saline soil reduced potassium uptake. Sodium uptake was higher at saline soil than non saline soil.

Keywords: mineral concentration, saline soil, non saline soil, forage

Introducton

The effect of global warmng s clmatc change that ncrease the sea level. It was reported that the ncreasng of sea level was 3 mm/year. Increasng sea level causes sol salnzaton along the coast area of sland. The sea water that contan hgh concentraton of sodum wll be ntruson to the sol along the coast. The hgh temperature wth low ranfall wll cause sodum move toward the top sol that affect the plant growth. Abrol (1988) reported the salt affected areas n Indonesa was ap-proxmately 13.2 mllon ha.

sodc sol. Salne sol contans suffcent neutral soluble salts that adversely affect the growth of most crop plants. The soluble salts are manly sodum chlorde and sodum sulfate wth EC (electrcal conductvty) more than 4 dS/m and ESP (ex-change sodum percentage) less than 15. Salne-sodc sol has EC more than 4 dS/m and ESP more than 15. Sodc sol has EC less than 4 dS/m and ESP more than 15 (Majerus, 1996). In relaton to crop growth, Abrol (1988) classfy sol salnty nto fve classes. There are non salne sol, slghtly salne sol, moderately salne sol, strongly salne sol and very strongly salne sol. Salne sol has EC between 0–2 dS/m, salnty effects are neglgble. Slghtly salne sol has EC between 2–4 dS/m, yelds of senstve crops may be restrcted. Moderately salne sol has EC between 4–8 dS/m, yelds of many crops are restrcted. Strongly salne sol has EC between 8–16 dS/m, only tolerance crops yeld satfactorly. Only a few crops yeld satsfac-torly at EC more than 16 dS/m or very strongly salne sol.

The effect of soluble salt at sol to plant growth s very complex. Salnty wll cause onc stress, osmotc stress and secondary stress. Accumulaton of sodum

(Na) and chlorde (Cl-_{) at leaves harm the plant growth. The hgh osmotc pressure}

hampers the plant water uptake, resultng the physologcal drought. Excessve so-dum ons at the root surface may dsrupt plant potassum uptake that s vtal for the mantenance of cell turgor, membrane potental and the actvty of many enzmes (Xong and Zhu, 2002). Wang et al. (2002) reported the total chlorophyll of el-ephant grass decrease from 181 at control to 125 at sol wth EC 10 dS/m. Increasng NaCl at lqud meda from 0 to 100 mM sgnfcantly decrease leaf area, chlorophyll

content and photosntetc rate of Leucaena leucocephala and Centrosema

pubes-cens (Kusmyat et al., 2009a). Salnty also affects nutrent uptake. Kusmyat et

al. (2009b) reported ncreasng NaCl concentraton from 0 mM to 300 mM at lqud

meda sgnfcantly decreased ntrogen (N), phosphorous (P) and potassum (K) up-take at shoot and root of elephant grass and kng grass.

The experment was desgned to evaluate herbage mneral concentraton

(ntrogen, phosphorous, potassum and sodum) of Panicum maximum, Setaria

sphacelata, Euchlaena mexicana, Brachiaria brizantha, and Cynodon plectostachyus

at salne solcomparewth non salne sol. The obtaned results can contrbute to a

better knowledge of understandng the physologcal effect of salnty to develop a tolerant plant.

Materals and Methods

The experment was conducted at greenhouse n Anmal Agrculture Faculty, Dponegoro Unversty, Tembalang Campuss – Semarang. Splt plot desgn wth completely random desgn was used to arrange the experment. The man plot was

forage grasses (R1= Panicum maximum, R2= Setaria sphacelata, R3= Euchlaena

sub-plot was sol salnty level (T1= non salne sol, T2= salne sol). There were three replcatons.

Pols of each forage grass were planted at pot that contan 10 kg of sol. The frst cut was one month after plantng to make unform plantng materal.

Fertl-zer dosage are use 60 kg N/ha/cuttng, 150 kg P₂O₅/ha and 100 kg K₂O/ha. Grasses

were cut 8 weeks after the frst cut. Herbage was cut 5 cm above the surface of the sol. Shoot materal were weghed and dred n open ar for one week. Dred tssues were re-weghed and ground to pass through a 1 mm screen for subsequent tsssue analyss.

Forage N contents were measured by Kjedahl method (AOAC, 1975).

Phos-phorous was analyzed by spectrophotometer method (Sulaeman et al., 2005). Whle

potassum and sodum content were measured by flamefotometry (Sulaeman et al.,

2005). The mneral concentraton (N, P, K, and Na) were calculated n term of g/kg dry matter (DM). The results were analyzed usng analyss of varance, then fol-lowed by LSD test to compare the dfferent mneral concentraton between non salne and salne sol at each forage grass (Steel and Torre, 1980).

Results and Dscusson

Non salne sol was latosol sol that was taken from Tembalang sub dstrct, Semarang cty, Central Java. Whle salne sol was taken from Kalor sub-dstrct, Rembang–Central Java. Salne sol was classfy as alluval type. Electrcal con-ductvty of salne sol was 11.1+0.35 dS/m wth pH 8.3+0.11. Accordng to Abrol (1988), the electrcal conductvty of salne sal s classfed as strongly salne sol. Non salne sol had EC 0.5+0.01 dS/m and pH 6.81+0.01.

Analyss of varance showed that ntrogen of herbage were sgnfcantly dffer-ent between forage grasses (P<0.05) (Table 1). Herbage ntrogen concdffer-entraton was

not dfferent between non salne and salne sol, except for B. brizantha (Tabel 1).

Table 1. Ntrogen concentraton of grasses at dfferent levels of sol salnty

Means followed by a dfferent letter at the same row or column were sgnfcantly dfferent at the 0.05 probablty level accordng to LSD test. Number followed by a dfferent letter at the same speces of grass was sgnfcantly dfferent at the 0.05 probablty level accordng to LSD test.

Grasses Non salne sol Salne sol Mean

P. maximum 18.99±0.38a _19.96±0.81a _19.48±1.70a

S. sphacelata 18.87±0.74a _19.00±1.21a _18.94±0.90a

E. mexicana 18.55±0.84a _19.31±0.96a _18.93±0.93a

B. brizantha 19.42±1.20a _14.46±1.58b _16.94±3.32b

C. plectostachyus 15.62±0.29a _15.21±0.54a _15.42±0.46c

Ntrogen was absorbed by plant n the form of ntrate (NO₃-) and ammonum

(NH₄+). Ntrate move to the root surface manly by mass flow. Mass flow reference

to the movement of water together wth dssolved electrolytes (ons) through the sol (Tsdale and Nelson, 1975). The reducton of herbage N concentraton at salne sol

compared wth non salne sol of B. brizantha and C. Plectostachyus were 25% and

2% respectvely, whle there were no reducton of N concentraton at P. maximum,

S. Sphacelata and E. Mexicana

Forage grasses had smlar concentraton of phosphorous at dfferent salnty

level of sol, except for S. sphacelata (Table 2). Reducton of phosphorous concen-Reducton of phosphorous concen-traton was ranged from 4% to 10%. Plants absorb most of ther phosphorous as thePlants absorb most of ther phosphorous as the prmary orthophosphate on (H2PO-). Phosphorous moves from sol to roots by on dffuson process. Plant absorb P by contact exchange (Tsdale and Nelson, 1975). Ntrogen and phosphorus uptake of forage grasses was not dfferent between non salne and salne sol. At salne sol, forage grasses stll can absorb ntrogen and phosphorous because the water was avalable. At ths experment, water at salne sol was mantaned at feld capacty.

Table 2. Phosphorous concentraton of grasses at dfferent levels of sol salnty

Means followed by a dfferent letter at the same row or column were sgnfcantly dfferent at the 0.05 probablty level accordng to LSD test. Number followed by a dfferent letter at the same speces of grass was sgnfcantly dfferent at the 0.05 probablty level accordng to LSD test.

Grasses Non salne sol Salne sol Mean

P. maximum 1.79±0.29a _1.50±0.29a _1.66bc

S. sphacelata 1.99±0.05a _1.78±0.06b _1.89abc

E. mexicana 2.46±0.48a _2.27±1.07a _2.36a

B. brizantha 2.21±0.04a _2.01±0.80a _2.11ab

C. plectostachyus 1.44±0.36a _1.38±0.21a _1.41c

Mean 1.98a _1.79a

Potassum concentraton of P. maximum S. sphacelata, E. mexicana, B.

brizan-tha, and C. plectostachyrus herbage was sgnfcantly lower at salne sol (P<0.05) (Table 3). Potassum concentraton reducton ofPotassum concentraton reducton of P. maximum, S. Sphacelata, E. Me-xicana B. brizantha and C. plectostachyus are 48%, 74%, 55%, 55%, and 34%.

Sodum concentraton of fve grasses herbage ncreased sgnfcantly at salne sol (P<0.05) (Table 4). Salne sol has hgh concentraton of NaCl. Hgh salnty n growth meda cause excessve sodum at the root surface. Sodum at hgh con-centraton has a strong nhbtory effect on potassum uptake by root (Xong and Zhu, 2002). Sodum and chlorde shoot concentraton ncreased and K decreased as

cause nutrent mbalances and defcences. Paksoy et al. (2010) reported K applca-ton to plant growth meda sgnfcantly ncreased mneral content of okra seedlng under salne condton. Tolerant plants had more K uptake than the susceptble ones.

Potassum had an mportant role n salt tolerance (Rubo et al. 2004). Salnty wllalnty wll

cause onc stress, osmotc stress and secondary stress. Accumulaton of sodum

(Na+_{) and chlorde (Cl}-_{) at leaves harm the plant growth. Excessve sodum ons at}

the root surface may dsrupt plant potassum uptake that s vtal for the mantenance of cell turgor, membrane potental and the actvty of many enzmes (Xong and Zhu, 2002).

The percentage enhancement of sodum concentraton were ranged from 488%

to 877% at salne sol compared wth non salne sol. Sodum concentraton at P.

maximum was 488%, whle B. Brizantha was 877% at salne sol compared wth non

salne sol. Among the fve grasses that were tested at ths experment, P. maximum

Table 3. Potassum concentraton of grasses at dfferent levels of sol salnty

Means followed by a dfferent letter at the same row or column were sgnfcantly dfferent at the 0.05 probablty level accordng to LSD test. Number followed by a dfferent letter at the same speces of grass was sgnfcantly dfferent at the 0.05 probablty level accordng to LSD test.

Grasses Non salne sol Salne sol Mean

P. maximum 21.19±2.77a _10.95±0.91b _15.42b

S. sphacelata 38.59±4.48a _10.01±3.33b _24.42a

E. mexicana 20.04±3.85a _8.90±1.04b _14.47b

B. brizantha 13.31±0.32a _5.97±1.80b _9.64c

C. plectostachyus 21.56±2.96a _14.03±2.62b _17.80b

Mean 22.94a _9.86b

Table 4. Sodum concentraton of grasses at dfferent levels of sol salnty

Means followed by a dfferent letter at the same row or column were sgnfcantly dfferent at the 0.05 probablty level accordng to LSD test. Number followed by a dfferent letter at the same speces of grass was sgnfcantly dfferent at the 0.05 probablty level accordng to LSD test.

Grasses Non salne sol Salne Sol Mean

P. maximum 1.15±0.35b _6.77±1.65a _3.96c

S. sphacelata 1.16±0.35b _8.86±1.89a _5.01b

E. mexicana 0.99±0.03b _9.09±0.75a _5.04b

B. brizantha 1.19±0.39b _11.63±0.81a _6.41a

C. plectostachyus 1.15±0.36b _10.57±1.34a _5.86ab

showed the most tolerant plant. P. maximum was capable to suppress the uptake of sodum, also suppressed the reducton of potassum uptake.

Concluson

It could be concluded that ntrogen concentraton n herbage of Panicum

maxi-mum, Setaria sphacelata, Euchlaena mexicana and Cynodon plectostachyus was not dfferent between non salne and salne sol. Herbage phosphorous concentraton of

Panicum maximum, Euchlaena mexicana, Brachiaria brizantha, and Cynodon plec-tostachyus was smlar at non salne and salne sol. Hgh salt concentraton at salne

sol reduced potassum uptake and ncreased sodum uptake of Panicum maximum,

Setaria sphacelata, Euchlaena mexicana, Brachiaria brizantha, and Cynodon plec-tostachyus. Among the fve grasses that were tested at ths experment,Among the fve grasses that were tested at ths experment, P. maximum

showed the most tolerant plant.

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