2000 - Salicornia (FI 1.270) (original) (raw)

Growth promotion of the seawater-irrigated oilseed halophyte Salicornia bigelovii inoculated with mangrove rhizosphere bacteria and halotolerant Azospirillum spp. Species of the shrub-like halophytic weed, Salicornia, are grown widely in climates ranging from temperate to tropical (Jefferies et al. 1981; Rey et al. 1990; Benito and Onaindia 1991). Monocultures and mixed cultures of Salicornia and other salt marsh weeds occur commonly in coastal salt marshes and inland salt pans where stands often exceed 10,000 plants m -2 (Ellison 1987). Although the plants can tolerate freshwater to some extent, NaCI is required for normal growth (Ayala and O'Leary 1995). Salicornia bigelovii Torr. is an annual, leafless, fastgrowing, succulent halophyte found along the coastline of Sonora and Baja California in Mexico (RodriguezMedina et al. 1998). Because S. bigelovii produces oilseeds and a high yield of foliage (Glenn et al. 1998), it is being evaluated as a new forage and oilseed crop for ...