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<br />6 <br /> <br />especiaUy if the soil fonns a salty crust at the surface, Soil and salt management (especially Na+) <br />will eventually be necessary if long-tenn 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, If this leaching is <br />not practiced, salinity levels in the soil wiU increase and yields will eventuaUy decrease, There is <br />no plant species available that can take up all the Na+and Cl' that has been applied to a soil via <br />poor quality water. However tall fescue's high uptake ofCl" 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-tenn 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 nutritionaUy 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 taU fescue and birdsfoot trefoil, animals will generally prefer feeding on <br />birdsfoot trefoil (preliminary data only; not shown), Because ofthe salt tolerance exhibited by taU <br />fescue, planting taU fescue and narrow-Ieafbirdsfoottrefoil 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 oftall fescue and birdsfoottrefoil mixture will likely be greater than <br />monocultured taU fescue, (See P. Beuselinckfor 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 sUlface, the residual salts, Na+ and <br />cr are absorbed, and will bum the leaf. Furrow irrigation would also minimize foliage burning, <br />