Morphological and Physiological Responses of <i>Cymbopogon citratus</i> and <i>Pennisetum alopecuroides</i> to Saline Water Irrigation
Reclaimed water provides a sustainable and economical alternative for landscape irrigation, but its elevated salinity can negatively impact sensitive plant species. This study evaluated the salinity tolerance of two widely used ornamental grasses, <i>Cymbopogon citratus</i> (lemon grass)...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-06-01
|
| Series: | Horticulturae |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/11/6/670 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850167602804948992 |
|---|---|
| author | Haifeng Xing Asmita Paudel Julie Hershkowitz Youping Sun |
| author_facet | Haifeng Xing Asmita Paudel Julie Hershkowitz Youping Sun |
| author_sort | Haifeng Xing |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Reclaimed water provides a sustainable and economical alternative for landscape irrigation, but its elevated salinity can negatively impact sensitive plant species. This study evaluated the salinity tolerance of two widely used ornamental grasses, <i>Cymbopogon citratus</i> (lemon grass) and <i>Pennisetum alopecuroides</i> (fountain grass), under three electrical conductivity (EC) levels: 1.2 (control), 5.0, and 10.0 dS·m<sup>−1</sup>. Visual assessments over 62 days showed that both species maintained an acceptable appearance under saline conditions. <i>C. citratus</i> exhibited no foliar damage, with visual scores above 4.6 even at 10.0 dS·m<sup>−1</sup>, whereas <i>P. alopecuroides</i> showed slight leaf injury but retained a score of 3.9 or higher. Growth parameters, such as plant height, leaf area, and shoot dry weight, decreased significantly in <i>C. citratus</i> with increasing salinity, particularly at 10.0 dS·m<sup>−1</sup>, where reductions reached up to 51.1%. In contrast, <i>P. alopecuroides</i> maintained stable growth indices under salt stress, although leaf area and tiller number were notably affected at high EC levels. Both species accumulated substantial amounts of sodium (Na<sup>+</sup>) and chloride (Cl<sup>−</sup>); <i>C. citratus</i> showed more pronounced ion accumulation than <i>P. alopecuroides</i>. These findings suggest that both grasses are suitable for landscaping in saline environments, although they employ different physiological strategies to cope with salt stress. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-038b3a618dd04c76b4ac3d79217eae7d |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2311-7524 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Horticulturae |
| spelling | doaj-art-038b3a618dd04c76b4ac3d79217eae7d2025-08-20T02:21:10ZengMDPI AGHorticulturae2311-75242025-06-0111667010.3390/horticulturae11060670Morphological and Physiological Responses of <i>Cymbopogon citratus</i> and <i>Pennisetum alopecuroides</i> to Saline Water IrrigationHaifeng Xing0Asmita Paudel1Julie Hershkowitz2Youping Sun3College of Resource and Environmental Sciences, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, 306 Zhaowuda Rd., Saihan District, Hohhot 010010, ChinaDepartment of Plants, Soils and Climate, Utah State University, 4820 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322, USADepartment of Plants, Soils and Climate, Utah State University, 4820 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322, USADepartment of Plants, Soils and Climate, Utah State University, 4820 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322, USAReclaimed water provides a sustainable and economical alternative for landscape irrigation, but its elevated salinity can negatively impact sensitive plant species. This study evaluated the salinity tolerance of two widely used ornamental grasses, <i>Cymbopogon citratus</i> (lemon grass) and <i>Pennisetum alopecuroides</i> (fountain grass), under three electrical conductivity (EC) levels: 1.2 (control), 5.0, and 10.0 dS·m<sup>−1</sup>. Visual assessments over 62 days showed that both species maintained an acceptable appearance under saline conditions. <i>C. citratus</i> exhibited no foliar damage, with visual scores above 4.6 even at 10.0 dS·m<sup>−1</sup>, whereas <i>P. alopecuroides</i> showed slight leaf injury but retained a score of 3.9 or higher. Growth parameters, such as plant height, leaf area, and shoot dry weight, decreased significantly in <i>C. citratus</i> with increasing salinity, particularly at 10.0 dS·m<sup>−1</sup>, where reductions reached up to 51.1%. In contrast, <i>P. alopecuroides</i> maintained stable growth indices under salt stress, although leaf area and tiller number were notably affected at high EC levels. Both species accumulated substantial amounts of sodium (Na<sup>+</sup>) and chloride (Cl<sup>−</sup>); <i>C. citratus</i> showed more pronounced ion accumulation than <i>P. alopecuroides</i>. These findings suggest that both grasses are suitable for landscaping in saline environments, although they employ different physiological strategies to cope with salt stress.https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/11/6/670landscape plantsmineral nutrientornamental grassphotosynthesissalinitysalt tolerance |
| spellingShingle | Haifeng Xing Asmita Paudel Julie Hershkowitz Youping Sun Morphological and Physiological Responses of <i>Cymbopogon citratus</i> and <i>Pennisetum alopecuroides</i> to Saline Water Irrigation Horticulturae landscape plants mineral nutrient ornamental grass photosynthesis salinity salt tolerance |
| title | Morphological and Physiological Responses of <i>Cymbopogon citratus</i> and <i>Pennisetum alopecuroides</i> to Saline Water Irrigation |
| title_full | Morphological and Physiological Responses of <i>Cymbopogon citratus</i> and <i>Pennisetum alopecuroides</i> to Saline Water Irrigation |
| title_fullStr | Morphological and Physiological Responses of <i>Cymbopogon citratus</i> and <i>Pennisetum alopecuroides</i> to Saline Water Irrigation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Morphological and Physiological Responses of <i>Cymbopogon citratus</i> and <i>Pennisetum alopecuroides</i> to Saline Water Irrigation |
| title_short | Morphological and Physiological Responses of <i>Cymbopogon citratus</i> and <i>Pennisetum alopecuroides</i> to Saline Water Irrigation |
| title_sort | morphological and physiological responses of i cymbopogon citratus i and i pennisetum alopecuroides i to saline water irrigation |
| topic | landscape plants mineral nutrient ornamental grass photosynthesis salinity salt tolerance |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/11/6/670 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT haifengxing morphologicalandphysiologicalresponsesoficymbopogoncitratusiandipennisetumalopecuroidesitosalinewaterirrigation AT asmitapaudel morphologicalandphysiologicalresponsesoficymbopogoncitratusiandipennisetumalopecuroidesitosalinewaterirrigation AT juliehershkowitz morphologicalandphysiologicalresponsesoficymbopogoncitratusiandipennisetumalopecuroidesitosalinewaterirrigation AT youpingsun morphologicalandphysiologicalresponsesoficymbopogoncitratusiandipennisetumalopecuroidesitosalinewaterirrigation |