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¶ Introduction
Plant species differ widely in their respective tolerance to soil salinity. These ratings are only qualitative guidelines to compare the ability of different crops and species to tolerate accumulations of various salts in the soil (i.e. total soil salinity as measured by the electrical conductivity value of a saturated paste extract). The actual tolerance of a specific plant or crop can differ in a specific situation, depending on the climate, soil conditions, cultural practices, etc. The data for an established crop applies where crops are exposed to fairly uniform salinity from late seedling stage until maturity. The tolerance at seeding may differ from that of an established plant. These tolerance ratings apply to "total" salinity accumulations. Some crops and varieties are sensitive to accumulations of specific salts, like sodium, chloride, or boron.
¶ Figure 1. Divisions for Classifying Crop Tolerance to Salinity
Note: The "percent relative yield" is calculated by dividing the yield of a crop under the conditions at a given salinity level by the yield of the same crop grown under the same, non-saline conditions.
¶ For all tables below:
Ratings:
S = sensitive
MS = moderately sensitive
MT = moderately tolerant
T = tolerant
* Plants may be more sensitive to soil salinity during seedling stage. Salinity should be kept at or below 4 mmho/cm
¶ Table 1. Soil Salinity Tolerance Ratings: Grain, Fiber, and Sugar Crops |
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| Crop | Rating | |
| Common Name | Botanical Name | |
| Barley | Hordeum vulgare | |
| germinating | T* | |
| established | T | |
| Beans, edible | Phaseolus vulgaris | |
| germinating | S* | |
| established | S | |
| Canola | Brassica napus | T |
| Corn | Zea mays | |
| germinating | S* | |
| established | MS | |
| Cotton | Gossypium hirsutum | T |
| Crambe | Crambe abyssinica | MS |
| Flax | Linum usitatissimum | MS |
| Guar | Cyamopsis tetragonoloba | T |
| Kenaf | Hibiscus cannabinus | MT |
| Milllet, foxtail | Setaria italica | MS |
| Mungbean | Vigna radiata | MT |
| Oats | Avena sativa | MT |
| Peanut | Arachis hypogaea | MS |
| Rice (paddy-grown) | Oryza sativa | S** |
| Rye | Secale cereale | T |
| Safflower | Carthamus tinctorius | MT |
| Sesame | Sesamum indicum | S |
| Sorghum | Sorghum bicolor | |
| germinating | MS* | |
| established | MT | |
| Soybean | Glycine max | MT |
| Sugarbeets | Beta vulgaris | |
| germinating | S* | |
| established | T | |
| Sugarcane | Saccharum officinarum | MS |
| Sunflower | Helianthus annus | MS |
| Triticale | X triticosecale | T |
| Wheat | Triticum sp. | |
| germinating | MT* | |
| established | T. aestivum | T |
| durum | T. turgidum | T |
| hard red spring | T. aestivum | MT |
| semi-dwarf | T. aestivum | T |
| ** Rice: refers to EC of soil water under flooded conditions | ||
¶ Table 2. Soil Salinity Tolerance Ratings: Forage Crops |
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| Crop | Rating | |
| Common Name | Botanical Name | |
| Alfalfa | Medicago sativa | |
| germinating | S* | |
| established | MS-MT | |
| Barley | Horeum vulgare | |
| germinating | T* | |
| established | T | |
| Burnet | Poterium sangiusorba | MT |
| Clover | ||
| alsike | Trifolium hybridum | MS |
| Berseem | T. alexandriunum | MS |
| Hubam | Melilotus alba | MT* |
| ladino | Trifolium repens | MS |
| red | Trifolium pratense | MS |
| strawberry | Trifolium fragiferum | MS |
| sweet | Melilotus alba | MT |
| white (Dutch) | Trifolium repens | MS |
| Corn, silage | Zea mays | |
| germinating | S* | |
| established | MS | |
| Cowpea | Vigna unguiculata | MT |
| Kochia | Kochia scoparia | T |
| Milkvetch, cicer | Astragalis cicer | MS |
| Oats | Avena sativa | MT |
| Rape, forage | Brassica napus | MT |
| Rye | Secale cereale | T* |
| Sesbania | Sesbania exaltata | MS |
| Sorghum | Sorghum bicolor | MT |
| germinating | MS* | |
| established | MT | |
| Sudangrass | Sorghum sudanense | MT |
| Trefoil, big | Lotus uiginosus | MS |
| Trefoil, birdsfoot | Lotus corniculatus | |
| narrow leaf | L. c. tenuifolium | MT |
| broad leaf | L. c. arvenis | MT |
| Vetch, common | Vicia angustifolia | MS |
| Wheat, semidwarf | Triticum aestivum | MT |
| Wheat, durum | Triticum turgidum | T |
¶ Table 3. Soil Salinity Tolerance Ratings: Grasses |
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| Crop | Rating | |
| Common Name | Botanical Name | |
| Alkali grass | Puccinellia airides | T* |
| Alkali sacaton | Sporobolus airoides | T* |
| Bentgrass | Agrostis stolonifera | |
| palustris | MS | |
| Bermudagrass | Cynodon dactylon | T |
| Bluestem | ||
| Angleton | Dichantium aristatum | MS* |
| big | Andropogon gerardii | MS-MT* |
| little | Schizachyrium | |
| scoparium | S* | |
| sand | Andropogon hallii | S* |
| yellow | Bothriochloa | |
| ischaemum | MS-MT* | |
| Brome, mountain | Bromus marginatus | MT* |
| Brome, smooth | Bromus inermis | MS |
| Buffelgrass | Cenchrus ciliaris | MS* |
| Canarygrass, | Phalaris | |
| reed | arundinacea | MT |
| Centipede grass | Eremochloa | |
| ophiuroides | MS | |
| Dallis grass | Paspalum dilatatum | MS* |
| Fescue, tall | Festuca elatior | MT |
| Fescue, meadow | Festuca pratensis | MT* |
| Foxtail, meadow | Alopecurus pratensis | MS |
| Grama, blue | Bouteloua gracilis | MS* |
| Harding grass | Phalaris tuberosa | MT |
| Kallar grass | Diplachene fusca | T* |
| Lovegrass | Eragrostis sp. | MS |
| Oatgrass, tall | Arrhenatherum | |
| danthonia | MS* | |
| Orchardgrass | Dactylis glomerata | MS |
| Panicgrass, blue | Panicum antidotale | MT* |
| Rescuegrass | Bromus uniloides | MT* |
| Rhodesgrass | Chloris Gayana | MT |
| Ryegrass | Lolium sp. | |
| Italian | L. italicum | |
| multiflorum | MT* | |
| perennial | L. perenne | MT |
| St. Augustine | Stenotaphrum | |
| grass | secundatum | S |
| Saltgrass, desert | Distichlis stricta | MS* |
| Switchgrass | Panicum virgatum | MT-T* |
| Timothy | Phleum pratense | MS* |
| Wheatgrass | Agropyron sp. | |
| standard crested | A. sibiricum | MT |
| fairway crested | A. cristatum | T |
| intermediate | A. intermedium | MT* |
| slender | A. trachycaulum | MT |
| tall | A. elongatum | T |
| western | A. Smithii | MT |
| Wild rye | Elymus sp. | |
| Altai | E. angustus | T |
| beardless | E. triticoides | MT |
| Canadian | E. canadensis | MT* |
| Russian | E. Junceus | T |
| Zoysia | Zoysia tenuifolia | MT* |
¶ Table 4. Soil Salinity Tolerance Ratings: Field Vegetable and Fruit Crops |
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| Crop | Rating | |
| Common Name | Botanical Name | |
| Artichoke | Helianthus tuberosus | MT* |
| Asparagus | Asparagus officinalis | T |
| Bean, edible | Phaseolus vulgaris | |
| germinating | S | |
| established | S | |
| Beet, red | Beta vulgaris | |
| emergence | S | |
| established | MT | |
| Broccoli | Brassica oleracea | MS |
| botrytis | ||
| Brussel sprouts | Brassica oleracea | MS* |
| gemmefera | ||
| Cabbage | Brassica oleracea | MS |
| capitata | ||
| Carrot | Daucus carota | S |
| Cauliflower | Brassica oleracea botrytis | MS* |
| Celery | Apium graveolens | MS |
| Corn, sweet | Zea mays | MS |
| Cucumber | Cumis sativus | MS |
| Eggplant | Solanum melongena | |
| esculentum | MS | |
| Kale | Brassica oleracea | |
| acephala | MS* | |
| Kohlrabi | Brassica oleracea | |
| gonglylode | MS* | |
| Lettuce | Lactuca sativa | MS |
| Lettuce | Lactuca sativa | MS |
| Muskemelon | Cucumis melo | MS |
| Okra | Abelmoschus | |
| esculentus | S | |
| Onion | Allium cepa | S |
| Parsnip | Pastinaca sativa | S* |
| Pea | Pisum sativum | S* |
| Pepper | Capsicum annum | MS |
| Potato | Solanum | |
| tubersosum | MS | |
| Pumpkin | Curcurbita pepo | MS* |
| Radish | Raphanus sativus | MS |
| Spinach | Spinacia oleracea | MS |
| Squash | Cucurbia sp. | |
| scallop | C. pepo melopepo | MS |
| zucchini | C. pepo melopepo | MT |
| Strawberry | Fragaria sp. | S |
| Sweet potato | Ipomea batatas | MS |
| Tomato | Lycopersicon | |
| lycopersicum | MS | |
| Turnip | Bassica rapa | MS |
| Watermelon | Citrullus lanatus | MS* |
| Zucchini | Curcurbita pepo | |
| melopepo | MT | |
¶ Table 3. Soil Salinity Tolerance Ratings: Orchard Fruits and Nuts, Brambles, Vine Crops |
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| Crop | Rating | |
| Common Name | Botanical Name | |
| Almond | Prunus ducilis | S |
| Apple | Malus sylvestris | S |
| Apricot | Prunus armeniaca | S |
| Avocado | Persea americana | S |
| Blackberry | Rubus sp. | S |
| Boysenberry | Rubus ursinus | S |
| Cherry, sweet | Prunus avium | S* |
| Cherry, sand | Prunus besseyi | S* |
| Currant | Ribes sp. | S* |
| Date palm | Phoenix dactylifera | T |
| Fig | Ficus carica | MT* |
| Gooseberry | Ribes sp. | S |
| Grape | Vitis sp. | MS |
| Grapefruit | Citrus paradisi | S |
| Jujube (red date, Chinese date) | Ziziphus jujuba | MT* |
| Lemon | Citrus limon | S |
| Lime | Citrus aurantifolia | S* |
| Loquat | Eriobotrya japonica | S* |
| Mango | Mangifra indica | S* |
| Olive | Olea europaea | MT |
| Orange | Citris sinensis | S |
| Papaya | Carica papaya | MT |
| Passion fruit | Passiflora edulis | S* |
| Peach | Prunus perica | S |
| Pear | Pyrus communis | S* |
| Persimmon | Diospyros virginiana | S* |
| Pineapple | Ananus comosus | MT |
| Plum (prune) | Prunus domestica | S |
| Pomegranate | Punica granatum | MT* |
| Pummelo | Citrus maxima | S* |
| Raspberry | Rubus idaeus | S |
| Rose apple | Syzygium jambos | S* |
| Sapote, white | Casimiroa edulis | S* |
| Tangerine | Citrus reticulata | S* |
S = sensitive MS = moderately sensitive MT = moderately tolerant T = tolerant
* Plants may be more sensitive to soil salinity during seedling stage. Salinity should be kept at or below 4 mmho/cm.
¶ References
Tanji, K.K., ed. 1990. Agricultural Salinity Assessment and Management. ASCE Mauals and Reports on Engineering
Practice No. 71. American Society of Civil Engineers, New York