Cultivation of Chrolis guana Cv., pioneer of saline water under hyper arid climate
Cultivation of Chrolis guana Cv., pioneer of saline water under hyper arid climate
Abdur Rashid Tariq and Haji Moosa A. Tayab
ABSTRACT
Cultivation of Chloris gayana, Kunth., cv: Pioneer as a pasture species was undertaken in the United Arab Emirates in 1981 for the first time from the seed stock imported from Australia. The purpose was to provide fodder for the rapidly developing livestock population of the country. In the beginning an area of 200 hectares was brought under a crop of Pioneer Rhodes grass on sprinkler system of irrigation. The irrigation water of these sites was drawn from the subsoil and it contained 3500ppm of dissolved salts. This project went into full production within three months of its initiation. Thereafter this programme was extended further over an area of about 2000 hectares under various agencies. The Forestry Department, besides raising pastures on project scale, also initiated a study to test the adaptability of Pioneer Rhodes grass to irrigation water having higher levels of salinity. The study was laid on to various soil types available in the region. Observations on the response of Pioneer Rhodes grass to various soil and water quality classes were recorded for two year. During this period a total of nine harvests were obtained from the experimental sites. The germination percent and yield of grass were correlated with various soil and water parameters. It was found that the germination practically ended when the irrigation water contained 60000 ppm of dissolved salts. The yield of dry matter gradually decreased with the increase in salt contents of water. It was also inferred that where germination of Pioneer Rhodes grass failed, a successful crop could be established by tuft planting on flood irrigation with water containing up to 15000 ppm of dissolved salts.
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September 1984
Vol. 34, Iss. 3
