Salinity and cultivar effects on alfalfa forage yield and nutritive value in a Mediterranean climate

Abstract Background Soil and water salinity are increasing problems worldwide, causing significantly reduced crop yields. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is often listed as salt‐sensitive, but field testing of improved cultivars is limited. Forage systems and improved high‐quality alfalfa varieties are needed to enable crop production under high salinity (HS) conditions. Methods The objective of this study was to measure the yield and quality response of alfalfa to high saline conditions in the field and to document the relative saline tolerance of its varieties. HS irrigation water (electrical conductivity of water, or ECw 8.0–11.0 dS m−1) was applied to 33 nondormant alfalfa cultivars and were compared with low salinity (LS) treatments (ECw 0.5–1.2 dS m−1) over 4 years in a Mediterranean environment on a clay loam soil utilizing a split‐plot design. Crops were harvested seven to eight times per year, and the forage quality was measured on selected harvests utilizing near‐infrared spectroscopy. Results The average yield loss due to HS treatment was 23.9% compared with LS treatment, but yields averaged 23.4 Mg ha−1 under HS over the 3 full years of production. This level of production is considered to be economically viable in this region. Differences in salinity tolerance between lines were identified in the field; individual cultivars lost 5%–35% of their LS yield when grown under HS conditions. Forage quality was significantly improved under HS versus LS conditions, but improvements were negatively correlated with biomass yield (R2 > 0.81), similar to responses observed in drought‐stressed alfalfa. Conclusions These yield results confirm greenhouse studies, indicating that alfalfa is highly salt tolerant once established in the field, with potential for further improvement with tolerant cultivars. Salinity tolerance should be chosen based on total biomass yield as well as on the salinity tolerance index (HS yield relative to LS yield). Agronomic practices to mitigate salinity and sodicity are critical, along with improved cultivars.