Screening of Eleven Festuca arundinacea Native Populations for NaCl Tolerance in Order to Use in Green Space

In the turfgrass industry, the need for salinity tolerant turfgrasses is increasing because of the increased use of saline and non-potable water. Greenhouse container experiments were conducted to determine the relative salinity tolerance and growth responses of eleven native populations of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schrub) (TF), including: Semirom, Mashhad, Sanandaj, Yasuj, Yazd Abad, Daran, Kamyaran, Gandoman, Borujen, Nasir Abad and Alborz to 8 weeks of salinity stress. Also, commercial TF was used as control. Four salinity levels of irrigation water (0, 45, 90, 135 mM NaCl) were applied to turfgrasses. Results showed shoot and root dry weight, total leaf area, leaf length, leaf width and leaf firing percentage was significantly affected by salinity for all turfgrasses. The lowest leaf firing percentage at 90 and 135 mM, was related to Sanandaj population and commercial TF, and the highest leaf firing percentage was related to Alborz at 45 mM and Gandoman population at 90 and 135 mM. Shoot dry weight, total leaf area and leaf length of Sanandaj population was less affected by salinity compared to other populations. Based on data on growth parameters, the salinity tolerance ranking of selected populations was: Sanandaj >Daran >Yasuj >Kamyaran >Nasir Abad >Semirom >Mashhad >Alborz >Yazd Abad >Borujen >Gandoman . These results showed the potential and competetive role of TF native populations compared to commercial TF.