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<br />especially if the soil forms a salty crust at the surface. Soil and salt management (especially Na+) <br />will eventually be necessary iflong-term use of saline water is practiced on any site, This strategy <br />necessitates the occasional leaching of the soil with rain or good quality water. Ifthis leaching is <br />not practiced, salinity levels in the soil will increase and yields will eventually decrease. There is <br />no plant species available that can take up all the Na+ and CI- that has been applied to a soil via <br />poor quality water. However tall fescue's high uptake ofCI- likely contributed to the slower <br />buildup of soil EC compared to birdsfoot trefoil. Hence, salt management must be a component <br />of any long-term practice to use poor quality water. <br /> <br />It is also important to consider product utilization of clipped plant material from plants grown <br />under saline conditions. Table 7 shows a general nutrient status for tall fescue, birdsfoot trefoil, <br />and alfalfa. Birdsfoot trefoil is nutritionally comparable to alfalfa and may even be qualitatively <br />slightly higher. Conversely, tall fescue is less nutritious than narrow or broadleafbirdsfoot trefoil <br />and will become slightly less palatable and desirable for animal consumption as it matures. When <br />given a choice between tall fescue and birdsfoot trefoil, animals will generally prefer feeding on <br />birdsfoot trefoil (preliminary data only; not shown). Because of the salt tolerance exhibited by tall <br />fescue, planting tall fescue and narrow-leafbirdsfoot trefoil together should be seriously <br />considered for poor water use under the tested saline conditions. In this strategy, herbage quality <br />of tall fescue and narrowleafbirdsfoot trefoil cultures will likely be better than monocultered tall <br />fescue. Moreover, yields of tall fescue and birdsfoot trefoil mixture will likely be greater than <br />monocultured tall fescue. (See P. Beuselinck for detailed information on this mixed-culture <br />practice. ) <br /> <br />Lastly, applying poor quality water near the end of day or better yet, evenings, is a strategy to <br />minimize burning on the leaf surface. This is especially important if sprinkler irrigation is used for <br />poor quality water. As applied water evaporates from the leaf surface, the residual salts, Na+ and <br />Cl" are absorbed, and will bum the leaf Furrow irrigation would also minimize foliage burning. <br /> <br />6 <br /> <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />