Characteristic of Five Grasses on the Variours Salinity

Abstract

When restoring forages on saline soils to productivity it is important to choose tolerant forage grass. The experiment by experimental method were pot study using sand media following factorial design 5 x 4 treatments with 3 replication was performed in Forage Science Laboratorium, Department of Animal Nutrition, Animal Agriculture Faculty Diponegoro University about 6 months to know growth and production responses of five grasses on different salt stressed. The first factor were kinds of grass, namely : king grass (Pennisetum hybrid), elephant grass(Pennisetum purpureum), benggala grass(Panicum maximum), setaria grass (Setaria sphacelata) dan star grass(Cynodon plectostachyus). The second factor were salinity (NaCl concentration) by added NaCl solution 0, 100, 200, 300 mM. Parameters of experiment measured were: (1) plant growth (plant height and number of tiller), (2) forage production, (3) dry matter percentage,and (4) dry matter production. Data found were analyzed by variance and followed by Duncan’s multiple range test when there significant effect of treatment Application of salinity up to 300 mM decreased plant heights of grass. The tallest on plant height was reached by Benggala grass (83,33 cm) but the lowest was actived by Betara grass (37,25 cm). The amount of tiller of Benggala grass were higher that those of four grasses (13,6) on 100 mM NaCl solution application andking grass (300 mM NaCl) reached the lowest among other (2,3). Furthermore, at 300 mM NaCl the highest forage production was reached by benggala grass ( 1060,67 g/pot), and the lowest was on elephant grass 300 mM NaCl (131,67 g/pot). Dry matter percentage was not affected by salinity. The highest dry matter production was benggala control (199,44 g/ pot) but the lowest was elephant grass on 300 mM NaCl (25,3 g/pot). The conclusion of this experiment were salinity .up to 300 mM NaCl would decreased plant height, number of tiller, forages production and dry matter production of king, elephant, benggala, setaria and star grasses. Salinity have not decreased dry matter percentage of grasses. Keywords: grasses, NaCl, growth, production