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Although significant amount of information is available on camelthorn (Alhagi spp.) as a weed, little is known about Alhagi spp. as a forage plant. Considering its forage value, the present study was conducted to document the phenology and biomass production of AlhagimaurorumMedik.in two dry saline rangelands of Ashkezar and Ardakan regions in cent...
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Context 1
... Ashkezar, the first seedlings appeared on the ground on February 23, and the germination phase took about 22 days (Table 2). Before the completion of emergence, the formation of the main stems began on March 7 and lasted for about 30 days. ...Context 2
... fruiting stage in Alhagi began on May 9 and lasted up to 50 days. The longest growing period was in both seed ripening areas (Table 2). In Ashkezar and Ardakan, the seeds started to ripen on June 8 and May 23, respectively, and lasted about 118 and 106 days, respectively. ...Context 3
... results showed that the total growth period was about 219 days in Ashkezar region and about 215 days in Ardakan region (Table 2). Previous findings have also reported that the growth cycle of Alhagi is about 200-211 days which is equal to 3503-4049 growth degree days (Nikfam et al., 2013). ...Similar publications
Seasonal life history events are often interdependent, but we know relatively little about how the relationship between different events is influenced by the abiotic and biotic environment. Such knowledge is important for predicting the immediate and evolutionary phenological response of populations to changing conditions. We manipulated germinatio...
Citations
... The six most important species of camelthorn are A. maurorum (synonymous with A. persarum, A. camelorum, and A. pseudalhagi), A. canescens, A. graecorum (synonymous with A. mannifera), A. kirghisorum, A. nepalensis, and A. sparsifolia. In general, A. maurorum and A. graecorum are the more common species, which are found in the most salt or arid lands in the world (Pirasteh-Anosheh, 2020;Pirasteh-Anosheh et al., 2020). Alhagi species are now found in all temperate and tropical regions of the world; however it is native to India, Anatolia, south of Russia, and North Africa, and now is a part of the natural flora of Central Asia, West Asia, Turkey and Cyprus (Laghari et al., 2011). ...
In this research, the growth and distribution of Alhagi camelorum Medic. as a potential crop was monitored for producing forage in hypersaline and hyperarid regions. For this purpose, seven Alhagi-dominated rangelands were selected in its original homeland at the south of the Great Salt Desert. The soil salinity of selected regions is very variable, and ranged from 3.6 dS m⁻¹ to 725 dS m⁻¹ and from 0.4 dS m⁻¹ to 366 dS m⁻¹ at 0–30 cm and 30–60 cm soil depths, respectively. The annual mean of maximum and minimum air temperature is around 30 and 6 °C, respectively, and the mean annual precipitation is less than 150 mm. The plant growth characteristics assessed by canopy cover, canopy height, shoot fresh weight (SFW), and dry weight (SDW) had a negative relationship with soil salinity and pH. The highest SFW (24.97 t ha⁻¹) and SDW (6.98 t ha⁻¹) of Alhagi were obtained where soil salinity was 13 dS m⁻¹ and soil pH was the lowest (7.1). Alhagi maintained the minimal growth and production of 20 cm canopy height and 50% canopy cover even in the saltiest conditions with a soil salinity of 395 dS m⁻¹; hence it can serve as a potential crop for haloculture systems. In Aqda, the canopy cover increased with increase in the soil salinity up to 7–10 dS m⁻¹ but decreased as the salinity levels increased further. The study revealed that A. camelorum not only has a very high tolerance to salinity but a moderate salinity up to 10 dS m⁻¹ can also stimulate the growth. However, soil pH had a greater effect on growth, and Alhagi does not have a high tolerance to soil alkalinity. Therefore, Alhagi species could not be a bio-indicator for soil salinity, while well-established plants with good canopy could be considered as a sign for low alkalinity in arid terrestrial ecosystems.
