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Title: Response of Lisianthus to Irrigation with Saline Water: Plant Growth

Author
item VALDEZ-AGUILAR, LUIS - Centro De Investigacion
item Grieve, Catherine
item Poss, James

Submitted to: Journal of Plant Nutrition
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/3/2012
Publication Date: 6/25/2013
Citation: Valdez-Aguilar, L.A., Grieve, C.M., Poss, J.A. 2013. Response of Lisianthus to Irrigation with Saline Water: Plant Growth. Journal of Plant Nutrition. 36(10):1605-1614. doi:10.1080/01904167.2013.799188.

Interpretive Summary: Competition between agricultural and urban users for high-quality water supplies has increased as the population increases. One environmentally-sound approach to the conservation of these dwindling water resources is the reuse of degraded, often saline, wastewaters for crop production. Cut flower growers have traditionally used high-quality waters to irrigate these economically important crops in order to avoid yield and quality losses associated with salinity. However, few guidelines are available that would aid growers in selecting floral species that are productive in water reuse systems. In order to help filling this informational gap, two varieties of lisianthus, a high value bedding and cut flower crop, were grown in the greenhouse under irrigation with saline waters typical of those present in two areas of California. Solution 1 (SWD) mimicked degraded waters found along the coast where sea water intrusion is a problem; solution 2 (CCRW) was prepared to represent tailwaters present in the southern inland valleys and simulated concentrations of Colorado River waters. Electrical conductivities of both waters ranged from 2 to 12 dS/m and the treatments were replicated three times. Stems were harvested when one flower was fully expanded. Measurements taken at harvest were: stem fresh weight, diameter, and length, inflorescence length, numbers of flowers and buds. Marketable flowering stems of both “Pure White’ and ‘Echo Blue’ were produced under irrigation with degraded waters of either composition provided the EC of the solutions did not exceed 6 dS/m. The results of this greenhouse study demonstrate that recycled waters can be used to produce an important cut flower crop that will aid growers, nurserymen, extension scientist, research scientists and other decision makers in the reuse of degraded waters without reduction of commercial acceptability or loss of economic product.

Technical Abstract: Production of cut flowers in California is located mostly in the coastal areas where sea water intrusion is a problem, or in the southern inland valleys where water quality and quantity are prevalent issues. In recent years there has been an increasing interest as to the feasibility of commercial production of ornamental plants using degraded waters. The present study was conducted in greenhouse sand cultures to compare the growth and development of lisianthus in response to irrigation with solutions differing in ionic composition and concentration to mimic either well waters contaminated with sea water (SWD) or tailwaters typical of concentrated Colorado River water (CCRW). Seedlings of lisianthus ‘Pure White’ were irrigated with varying electrical conductivity (EC) treatments, ranging between 2 to 12 dS m'1. The results showed that lisianthus ‘Pure White’ grew better when irrigated with EC = 2 dS m'1 SWD, although commercially acceptable flowering stems were produced in treatments as high as 7 dS m'1. Lisianthus can also be irrigated with CCRW tailwater with EC = 6 dS m'1 for ‘Echo Blue’ or with EC = 8 dS m'1 for ‘Pure White’.