Management of Atriplex Nummularia Lindl. in a Salt Affected Soil in a Semi Arid Region of Brazil

Author： de Souza Edivan Rodrigues dos Santos Freire Maria Betânia Galvão de Melo Diego Vandeval Maranhão de Assunção Montenegro Abelardo Antônio

Publisher： Taylor & Francis Ltd

ISSN： 1522-6514

Source： International Journal of Phytoremediation, Vol.16, Iss.1, 2014-01, pp. : 73-85

Disclaimer: Any content in publications that violate the sovereignty, the constitution or regulations of the PRC is not accepted or approved by CNPIEC.

Previous Menu Next

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the behavior of Atriplex Nummularia under field conditions, including its growth, periodic cuttings, salt extraction, and soil chemical properties monitored for 16 months. Three treatments were evaluated: soil cultivated with Atriplex pruned at 6 and 12 months after transplanting (MAT); soil cultivated with plants that were harvested only at the end of the experiment (16 MAT); and a control (uncultivated soil) with four replications. Soil samplings were taken at 0, 6, 12, and 16 MAT. The samples were taken at depths of 0–20, 20–40, 40–60, and 60–80 cm. Biometric variables for growth were monitored monthly. The shoot was divided into leaves, thin stems (≤3 mm diameter), and thick stems (>3 mm diameter) to determine its content of Ca, Mg, Na, K, and Cl. We concluded that pruning regime for Atriplex was efficient mainly because it stimulated regrowth of less lignified material (leaves and stems ≤3 mm). We found that elements extracted by plant tissue can be quantified accurately, making them valuable indicators of the efficiency of the recovery process. The use of the Atriplex is recommended because the the possibility of revegetating areas inhospitable to most species used in conventional farming.