Performance of some under‐explored crops under saline irrigation in a semiarid climate in Northwest India

Growing salt‐tolerant under‐explored crops utilizing saline ground water can provide for an economic use of abandoned semiarid lands. Field trials were conducted between 1999 and 2003 on a calcareous soil in a semiarid region of northwest India. Woody perennials were planted at the sill of furrows and irrigated with water of high salinity (EC 10–28 dS m−1), low salinity (EC 5–9 dS m−1) and alternately with these two waters. Woody species includedAzadirachta indica, Cordia rothii, Salvadora persica, Jatropha curcas, J. gossipifolia, Ricinus communis, Catharanthus roseus, Adhatoda vasicaandAloe barbadensis. Most of these could be grown successfully butS. persica—a highly salt‐tolerant halophyte—though it produced huge biomass, could not yield mature fruit due to frost injury. The salinity build up in the soil was greater during low‐rainfall years, but a good rainfall year, e.g. 714 mm in 2001, helped to leach out the accumulated salts. The uptake of Na+in plants was greater when irrigated with water of high salinity, while K+accumulation was greater with water of low salinity. Na+accumulation was higher in roots as compared to other parts except inJatrophaandSalvadora, while K+accumulation was greater in leaves. There was a negative correlation between Na+and K+accumulation and a positive correlation between Ca2+and Mg2+. Thus, saline water (ECiw 12 dS m−1) can successfully be used for growing several under‐explored crops of high economic value.