Blue Panicum-Alfalfa Mixture Buffers against Effects of Soil Salinity on Forage Productivity

Abstract

Soil salinity limits forage productivity in ~1125 million ha of particularly arid lands across continents. Grass-legume mixtures are known to enhance soil nutrient cycling and forage productivity in non-saline conditions. We tested if these benefits can be replicated in the saline soils (ECe > 14) of Laayoune-Morocco during the year 2021, based on a randomized complete block design (RCBD) experiment with 50–50 and 30–70% blue panicum grass (Panicum antidotales Reitz), alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) mixtures compared to their monocrops. There was no significant variation (p = 0.36) in forage accumulation across treatment, but the blue panicum grass and alfalfa mixture had slightly greater forage yield compared to each in monocrop (13% and 5% Mg ha−1). Blue panicum grass proportionate dry matter exceeded alfalfa in mixtures (62 and 54%). During establishment, blue panicum grass buffers against effects of high salinity on forage productivity in mixtures with alfalfa.

Keywords

• alfalfa
• blue panicum
• crop mixture
• forage productivity
• soil salinity