Evaluating Salicornia as a Potential Forage Crop to Remediate High Groundwater-Table Saline Soil under Continental Climates

Salicornia is a leafless C3 annual halophyte with a greatest economic potential. A field study was conducted to evaluate Salicornia (Salicornia europaea) biomass production and feed quality and its effect on soil quality in the Mediterranean Karatas-Adana region of the Southern Turkey. Salicornia biomass, groundwater, and soils were randomly sampled from adjoining Unprotected (uncontrolled mixed grazing) and Protected (no grazing) sites. Results showed that the Protected site produced a higher amount of total (shoot and root), root, and shoot fresh biomass by 22, 45, and 12%, respectively as compared with the Unprotected site. Total, root, and shoot dry biomass production was also higher in the Protected site. Biomass collected from the Protected site had a significantly lower content of acid detergent fiber, but higher content of digestible dry-matter and relative feed values than in biomass collected from the Unprotected site. Iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) contents were 1.9 and 1.8 times higher in the Protected site than in the Unprotected site. Groundwater and soil electrical conductivities were significantly lower in the Protected site than in the Unprotected site. While the soil microbial biomass, active carbon, and intermediate C pools were 36, 21 and 56% higher, respectively, the specific maintenance respiration rates were lower (by 23%) in the Protected site than in the Unprotected site. Results suggested that increased biomass yield of Salicornia with higher feed quality under Protection could be used as a forage crop to remediate coastal saline soils with a high water-table.