Salt absorption capacities of several annul halophytes

【Objectives】 Soil salinization happens in large area in Xinjiang, China. Cultivation of halophytes is one of the main remediation ways of the salty soils. The study on their capabilities to absorb salt and ions will provide base for choosing correct halophytes in Xinjigan.【Methods】 A field experiment was conducted in saline-alkali soil, and annual halophytes Salicornia europaea,Suaeda salsa, Suaeda altissima and Atripex aucheri Moq. were planted. The soils are loam and sandy, in which the average total salt content are 10.23 g/kg, pH 8.36, belonging to middle salinization. The contents of K+, Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cl- and SO2-4 and total salt in above and under ground parts were measured in early, mid and late growth of the halophytes. 【Results】 The above-ground biomass of the four halophytes in the late growth period is in the order of Suaeda altissima(23302 kg/ha)＞Atripex aucheri Moq.(20379 kg/ha)＞Suaeda salsa(18670 kg/ha)＞Salicornia europaea(9096 kg/ha), averaged more than 89% of the total dry matter. The order for salt content is Salicornia europaea(215 g/kg)＞Suaeda salsa(152 g/kg)＞Suaeda altissima(137 g/kg)＞Atripex aucheri Moq.(103 g/kg). K+ content of Suaeda altissima, Na+,Cl-,SO2-4 contents of Salicornia europaea as well as the Ca2+,Mg2+ contents of Suaeda salsa are the highest. All the four types of halophytes have a strong absorptive capacity for Na+、Cl-、SO2-4.Salicornia europaea belongs toSO2-4- Cl- type halophytes and Suaeda salsa, Suaeda altissima, Atripex aucheri Moq. are Cl-- SO2-4 type halophytes, according to anion type. The order of salt accumulation is Suaeda altissima(3499 kg/ha)＞Suaeda salsa(3061 kg/ha)＞Atripex aucheri Moq.(2180 kg/ha)＞Salicornia europaea(2080 kg/ha). 【Conclusions】The halophytes capability on improving saline soil mainly depends on the accumulated amount of salts and the total biomass of the plant. Among the halophytes tested, Salicornia europaea showed the highest uptake capacity to Na+、Cl- than the other three ones.