Project Number: 5310-13210-009-00
Project Type: Appropriated

Start Date: Dec 23, 2006
End Date: Dec 22, 2011

Objective:
Objective1: Develop guidelines for crop selection and management for crops using recycled waters. Objective 2: Develop indices for evaluating biological constituents which affect yield and quality of plants irrigated with degraded waters. Objective 3: To conduct field and greenhouse experiments on soil salinity, crop production, and salt tolerance, under irrigation of arid saline lands present in the Imperial Valley, California, to improve productivity while minimizing offsite impacts.

Approach:
Guidelines for crop selection and management using recycled waters will be developed by conducting trials in hydroponic cultures, greenhouse sand tanks, outdoor lysimeters, and, where appropriate, in the field. Crop species, such as, forages, turfgrasses, traditional and specialty cereals, strawberry, cut flowers and ornamentals will be grown under irrigation with degraded waters which differ in ion composition and also may contain potentially toxic trace elements (e. g. boron, selenium, molybdenum). Crop performance under saline conditions will be evaluated and quantified on characters, such as, phasic growth and development, remotely-sensed indices, biomass production, yield, overall health and quality. Effects of salinity on physiological and biochemical processes such as ion uptake and selectivity, ion partitioning, presence and quantity of stress metabolites, photosynthetic capacity, cellular membrane integrity will be identified and quantified. Models will be developed to describe and predict response and productivity of plants irrigated with recycled waters. Formerly 5310-13210-008-00D & 5310-21000-007-00D (12/06).