Seed Germination and Salt Tolerance of Crops in Coastal Alluvial Soils of New Brunswick, Canada

Abstract

The relative salt tolerance of crops grown on coastal alluvial soils was determined by adding NaCl to the soil to give electrical conductivity of saturated extract (EC e ) ranging up to 20 mmhos/cm. Crop germination varied with oats > barley > timothy > clover. Yields equivalent to 70% of those obtained on soil without NaCl added indicated that oats was the most tolerant crop, followed by barley, clover, and timothy. Approximate EC e values at this yield level were 5, 4, 4, and 3 mmhos/cm, respectively. Barley is reported in the literature to be more salt tolerant than oats, but EC e as an indication of salt tolerance of barley was lower than that reported for saline soils of arid zones. The study shows that salt tolerance in coastal alluvial soils is comparable to that of other saline soils.