Availability of hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth) as leguminous green manure crops for organic rice in reclaimed saline land

Summary

Hairy vetch (Vicia villosa) is playing an important role to improve soil physical properties and soil fertility for the supply of crop nutrients and this crop is also used as a representative legumes green manure for the production of organic agricultural food. In this study we evaluated the availability of hairy vetch in reclaimed organic rice cultivation. The response to increasing salinity was analyzed by means of the germination rate and seedling growth of hairy vetch. Results showed that seed germination of hairy vetch decreased insignificantly up to concentration of 0.6% NaCl. However, shoot and root growth of hairy vetch showed significant reduction at salinity concentrations higher than 0.1% NaCl level. In these results we were considered that hairy vetch can be use under concentration of 0.1% salinity as green manure for reclaimed saline agriculture.