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Crop yield response to water - Cra

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SalinityAlfalfa is <strong>to</strong>lerant <strong>to</strong> relatively high salinity in the lower root zone provided the upper zoneis saline free. It is more sensitive <strong>to</strong> Na + than Cl - so that sodium accumulation is the dominantreason for <strong>yield</strong> decreases when irrigating with saline <strong>water</strong>. Irrigation, even with moderatelysaline <strong>water</strong>, can cause salts <strong>to</strong> accumulate deeper in<strong>to</strong> the soil profile which enables roots <strong>to</strong>proliferate in regions of relatively low salinity. At salt concentrations above 10 dS/m significant<strong>yield</strong> reductions are expected. In these conditions, the absolute <strong>yield</strong> of alfalfa may still begreater more than ‘salt-<strong>to</strong>lerant’ grasses.Yield and QualityThe diversity of climate and soil types used <strong>to</strong> grow alfalfa means reported <strong>yield</strong>s rangefrom less than 1 <strong>to</strong>nne DM/ha in rainfed systems, on soils of low <strong>water</strong> holding capacitycombined with low annual rainfall (

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