Soil salinity is a global constraint that severely reduces the productivity of field crop. In the Canadian prairies alone, a million hectare of lands are affected by salinity and annual crop production is not economical. Establishing permanent cover is important for preventing from further salinization and improve soil health and weed control. The objective of this study was to assess four unique perennial forage mixtures for their establishment rate, forage yield, botanical composition, and their contributions to pollinator abundance and soil microbe biomass under both saline and non-saline field conditions. The research was conducted in 2022 and 2023 at two saline field sites located near Redvers, Clavet, SK and at a non-saline field near Scott, SK, Canada. The experimental design at each location was a split-plot arrangement on a randomized complete block design with four replications. The forage treatments included salt tolerant hybrid wheatgrass ( Elymus hoffmannii ) cv. CDC Salt King, salt-tolerant alfalfa ( Medicago sativa ) cv. Halo II, a salt-tolerant grass dominant mixture, a legume dominant pollinator mixture, each seeded with and without a barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.) companion crop. Data were collected on forage establishment, weed proportion, companion crop and perennial forage biomass, forage nutritive value, pollinator number, and soil microbial carbon. Forage mixtures exhibited strong establishment at saline sites regardless of the presence of a barley companion crop. In the seeding year, the inclusion of a barley companion crop substantially increased total forage yield (5154 kg ha⁻¹) relative to treatments without a companion crop (2086 kg ha⁻¹). Legume‑dominant, pollinator mixtures produced higher crude protein concentrations (15.4%), whereas grass‑dominant mixtures exhibited higher acid detergent fiber (ADF; 30.2%) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF; 56.3%). The pollinator mixture had 42–82% greater inflorescence and 10–66% greater honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) abundance compared to other treatments. A substantial increase in soil microbial biomass carbon from pre‑seeding to post‑establishment suggests that perennial forages can enhance microbial activity in saline soils. Seeding perennial forages in moderate saline soils can provide multiple agronomic and ecological benefits including increased forage production, enhanced pollinator habitat and nectar resources, and improved soil health through increases in soil microbe carbon. As annual crop production is not economical in saline regions, crop producers would benefit from seeding the areas with adapted, salt tolerant perennial forage mixtures. Establishing salt tolerant grasses and legumes on saline soils can enhance forage productivity, support pollinator activity and improve soil health. • Forage mixtures containing salt tolerant hybrid wheatgrass and alfalfa established successfully in moderate saline soils. • Inclusion of barley companion crop improved seeding year total forage yield and generated an immediate economic return. • The inclusion of perennial legumes in saline reclamation increased inflorescence abundance and the frequency of bee visits. • Establishing perennial forages enhanced soil microbial biomass under saline soil conditions.
Waldner et al. (Wed,) studied this question.