Effect of Salt in Irrigation Water on Some Physical and Chemical Properties of Lettuce Plant and Soil

Abstract

Knowledge of salt tolerance in vegetable plants is necessary to increase
productivity and profitability of crop irrigated with saline waters. This
research was carried out in Celal Bayar University, Alasehir vocational
school glasshouse which is in Manisa, Alasehir located in the west part
of Agean region. The purpose of the experiment is to determine salinity
effects on some chemical and physical properties of lettuce plant and
soil and some vegetative growth parameter of plant which is irrigated
with water having different concentrations of salt (NaCl). The experiment
was established in a randomized block design with four replications.
Salinity levels are in five levels as 0-4-8-12-16 dSm^-1 EC. Depending
on increasing salt concentration in irrigation water, from the soil saturation
extract values, especially Na⁺ from cations and Cl^– from anions
which are dominant compared to others (K⁺, Mg²⁺, SO₄^2-, HCO₃^–) and
also increase of total soluble salt values have caused some negativeness
in plant production. Different EC levels in irrigation water showed an
important effect on K⁺ and Na⁺ content of soil and only Na⁺ content of
plant. Highest values were generally obtained at 4 dSm^-1 EC for lettuce
plant vegetative growing parameters such as dry and fresh head weight,
head length and leaf number per plant. However, the increase in salt
content of water (> 4 dSm^-1 EC) affected negatively these vegetative
growing parameters.