Na compound fertiliser improves growth performance, drought resistance, and water-saving efficiency of the succulent xerophyte Haloxylon ammodendron in the Alxa Desert region of China

Abstract

For Haloxylon ammodendron – a typical succulent xerophyte that accumulates Na+ to resist drought stress– the use of a Na-compound fertiliser (NaCF) at small scales could increase drought resistance. In this study we compared the effects of NaCF, NP (with N and P contents the same as in NaCF), diammonium phosphate (DP), and a control (C) on growth of H. ammodendron in the Alashan Desert regions of China. Results indicated that NaCF significantly increased plant height (PH) by 56, 27 and 12%, main root length (MRL) by 72, 60 and 45%, dry weight (DW) of whole plant by 291, 124 and 89%over the C, NP and DP treatments respectively in the nursery. NaCF also significantly improved drought resistance of H. ammodendron in large-scale desert afforestation, where it increased PH by 4.6 and 1.8cmplant–1, main root length (MRL) by 4.5 and 4.1cmplant–1, and DW by 17.9 and 15.9gplant–1 compared with the C and DP treatments respectively. Furthermore, compared with the seedlings treated with DP in the nursery and in the desert afforestation, seedlings treated with NaCF resulted in water saving potentials of 50 and 33% respectively. These findings indicate that NaCF could be beneficial if widely applied in eco-restoration of the degraded vegetations in desert regions of China.