Effect of Irrigation Water Salinity on the Yield of two Salicornia Species (Salicornia bigelovii and S. persica)

Salicornia is an important halophyte that has the ability to cultivate in saline areas and irrigate with unconventional and hyper saline waters. This study aimed to investigate the effect of different irrigation water salinity levels on salicornia (Salicornia persica and S. bigelovii) yield under a weighting lysimetric experiment. For this purpose, two levels of irrigation water salinities (8 and 25 dS.m-1) were applied on each experiment. A factorial experiment with completely randomized design was subjected in this study. During the experiment, soil salinity, drainage water salinity, soil moisture and volume of applied water were measured and monitored. At the end of growing season, parameters like seed weight, total dry matter weight, plant height, and branch number, number of spikes per plant, spike height, spike diameter and spike dry weight were measured and compared together, as well. Results showed that as salinity level of irrigation water increased from 8 to 25 dS.m-1, yield components significantly increased (seed weight, 62 and 11.5 % and total dry matter weight, 22 and 16 % in S. bigelovii and S. persica, respectively). Also, the effect of salinity on all morphological traits was significant except for spike diameter at 1% confidence level.