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Salt Tolerance
- Grasses and Forage Crops -
| Common Name | Botanical Name | Threshold dS/m (c) | Slope % per dS/m | Rating (d) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vetch, common | Vicia angustifolia | 3.0 | 11.0 | MS |
| Rescuegrass | Bromus unioloides | -- | -- | MT* |
| Rhodesgrass | Chloris Gayana | -- | -- | MT |
| Rye (forage) | Secale cereale | -- | -- | MS* |
| Ryegrass, Italian | Lolium italicum multiflorum | -- | -- | MT* |
| Ryegrass, perennial | L. perenne | 5.6 | 7.6 | MT |
| Saltgrass, desert | Distichlis stricta | -- | -- | T* |
| Sesbania | Sesbania exaltata | 2.3 | 7.0 | MS |
| Sirato | Macroptilium atropurpureum | -- | -- | MS |
| Sphaerophysa | Sphaerophysa salsula | 2.2 | 7.0 | MS |
| Sudangrass | Sorghum sudanense | 2.8 | 4.3 | MT |
| Timothy | Phleum pratense | -- | -- | MS* |
| Trefoil, big | Lotus uliginosus | 2.3 | 19.0 | MS |
| Wheat (forage) (i) | Triticum aestivum | 4.5 | 2.6 | MT |
| Wheat, Durum (forage) | T. turgidum | 2.1 | 2.5 | MT |
| Wheatgrass, standard crested | Agropyron sibiricum | 3.5 | 4.0 | MT |
| Wheatgrass, fairway crested | A. cristatum | 7.5 | 6.9 | T |
| Wheatgrass, intermediate | A. intermedium | -- | -- | MT* |
| Wheatgrass, slender | A. trachycaulum | -- | -- | MT |
| Wheatgrass, tall | A. elongatum | 7.5 | 4.2 | T |
| Wheatgrass, western | A. Smithii | -- | -- | MT* |
| Wildrye, Altai | Elymus angustus | -- | -- | T |
| Wildrye, beardless | E. triticoides | 2.7 | 6.0 | MT |
| Wildrye, Canadian | E. canadensis | -- | -- | MT* |
| Wildrye, Russian | E. Junceus | -- | -- | T |
| Trefoil, narrowleaf birdsfoot | L. corniculatus tenuifolium | 5.0 | 10.0 | MT |
| Trefoil, broadleaf birdsfoot | L. corniculatus arvenis | -- | -- | MT |
| Panicgrass, blue | Panicum antidotale | -- | -- | MT* |
| Rape | Brassica napus | -- | -- | MT* |
| Alfalfa | Medicago sativa | 2.0 | 7.3 | MS |
| Alkaligrass,Nuttall | Puccinellia airoides | -- | -- | T* |
| Alkali sacaton | Sporobolus airoides | -- | -- | T* |
| Barley (forage) (e) | Hordeum vulgare | 6.0 | 7.1 | MT |
| Bentgrass | Agrostis stolonifera palustris | -- | -- | MS |
| Bermudagrass (j) | Cynodon Dactylon | 6.9 | 6.4 | T |
| Bluestem, Angleton | Dichanthium aristatum | -- | -- | MS* |
| Brome,mountain | Bromus marginatus | -- | -- | MT* |
| Brome,smooth | B.inermis | -- | -- | MT |
| Buffelgrass | Cenchrus ciliaris | -- | -- | MS* |
| Burnet | Poterium Sanguisorba | -- | -- | MS* |
| Canarygrass,reed | Phalaris arundinacea | -- | -- | MT |
| Clover, alsike | Trifolium hybridum | 1.5 | 12.0 | MS |
| Clover, Berseem | T. alexandrinum | 1.5 | 5.7 | MS |
| Clover, Hubam | Melilotus alba | -- | -- | MT* |
| Clover, ladino | Trifolium repens | 1.5 | 12.0 | MS |
| Clover, red | T. pratense | 1.5 | 12.0 | MS |
| Clover, strawberry | T. fragiferum | 1.5 | 12.0 | MS |
| Clover, sweet | Melilotus | -- | -- | MT* |
| Clover, white Dutch | Trifolium repens | -- | -- | MS* |
| Corn (forage) (f) | Zea mays | 1.8 | 7.4 | MS |
| Cowpea (forage) | Vigna unguiculata | 2.5 | 11.0 | MS |
| Dallisgrass | Paspalum dilatatum | -- | -- | MS* |
| Fescue, tall | Festuca elatior | 3.9 | 5.3 | MT |
| Fescue, meadow | F. pratensis | -- | -- | MT* |
| Foxtail, meadow | Alopecurus pratensis | 1.5 | 9.6 | MS |
| Grama, blue | Bouteloua gracilis | -- | -- | MS* |
| Hardinggrass | Phalaris tuberosa | 4.6 | 7.6 | MT |
| Kallargrass | Diplachne fusca | -- | -- | T* |
| Lovegrass (k) | Eragrostis sp. | 2.0 | 8.4 | MS |
| Milkvetch,Cicer | Astragalus cicer | -- | -- | MS* |
| Oatgrass, tall | Arrhenatherum, Danthonia | -- | -- | MS* |
| Oats (forage) | Avena sativa | -- | MS* | |
| Orchardgrass | Dactylis glomerata | 1.5 | 6.2 | MS |
Mass (1990)(a)
Salinity Ratings codes
Salinity Ratings refer to the level of salt tolerance: M = moderate; T = tolerant; S = sensitive; MS = moderately sensitive; MT = moderately tolerant
Notes:
(a) These data serve only a guideline to relative tolerances among crops. Absolute tolerances vary, depending upon climate, soil conditions, and cultural practices.
(b) Botanical and common names follow the convention of Hortus Third (Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium Staff, 1976) where possible.
(c) In gypsiferous soils, plants will tolerate ECe about 2 dS/m higher than indicated.
(d) Ratings with a * are estimates.
(e) Less tolerant during seedling stage, ECe at this stage should not exceed 4 or 5 dS/m.
(f) Grain and forage yields of DeKalb XL-75 grown on an organic muck soil decreased about 26% per dS/m above a threshold of 1.9 dS/m.
(g) Paddy rice is grown under flooded conditions, thus electrical conductivity of the soil water refers to the plants while submerged. Less tolerant during seedling stage.
(h) Sensitive during germination and emergence, ECe should not exceed 3 dS/m.
(i) Data from one cultivar, "Probred".
(j) Average of serveral varieties. Suwannee and Coastal are about 20% more tolerant, and common and Greenfield are about 20% less tolerant than the average.
(k) Average for Boer, Wilman, Sand, and Weeping cultivars. Lehmann seems about 50% more tolerant.
(l) Broadleaf birdsfoot trefoil seems less tolerant than narrowleaf.
(m) Sesame cultivars, Sesaco 7 and 8, may be more tolerant than indicated by the S rating.
