Effect of irrigation water salinity, manure application and planting method on soil ions variation and ions uptake by saffron (Crocus sativus L.)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Water Engineering Department, College of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, I.R of Iran.

Abstract

The objective of the present study is to investigate the effects of irrigation water salinity,
cow manure levels and different planting methods on ions variation in soil and their uptake by
saffron. A split-split plot arrangement was conducted in a randomized complete block design
with irrigation water salinity levels (0.45 (fresh water, S1), 1.0 (S2), 2.0 (S3) and 3.0 (S4) dS m-1)
as the main plot, cow manure levels (30 (F1) and 60 (F2) Mg ha-1) as the subplot and planting
method (basin (P1) and in-furrow (P2)) as the sub-subplot with three replications. Results
showed that the concentration of sodium (Na+), calcium (Ca2+), chloride (Cl-), potassium (K+),
sulphate (SO42-) ions in soil was increased significantly with increasing water salinity levels.
These variations were in accordance with EC
e variations that were 2.6 times in S4 compared
with S1 treatment. However, the soil nitrate (NO3-N) decreased in the highest irrigation salinity
level by about 30% compared with the lowest salinity level in two growing seasons. These
element concentrations were significantly higher in F2 treatment in comparison with F1 due to
addition of these ions by higher application rate of cow manure to soil. There was no significant
difference between element concentrations in soil for two planting methods. Increasing salinity
to the highest level significantly increased the saffron leaf concentration of Na+, Ca2+ and Cl- by
about 4.0, 1.4 and 1.5 times, respectively. Increasing salinity resulted in decrease in K+, nitrogen
(N) and phosphorus (P) concentration in saffron leaf by about 30, 20 and 39% under the highest
water salinity level, respectively. The in-furrow planting method significantly led to increase in
K+, N and P concentration in plant by about 10, 3 and 8% in comparison with the basin planting,
respectively. Also, higher manure application rate as 60 Mg ha-1 significantly increased plant N
and P concentration by about 12 and 20% in two growing seasons, respectively.

Keywords

International Journal of Plant Production
Volume 10, Issue 2 - Serial Number 2
February 2016
Pages 197-219

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