THE EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT IRRIGATION WATER SALINITIES AND LEACHING RATIOS ON GREEN AND DRY FORAGE YIELDS OF ALFALFA (Medicago sativa L.)

This study was executed to describe the impact of irrigation water quality and leaching fractions on drainage water quality and soil profile salinity in lizimeter conditions with alfalfa (Medicago sativa) cv. Elci. The experiments were conducted with 3 irrigation water salinities (0.25, 1.5 and 3 dS/m) using NaCl and CaCl2 salts and 4 irrigation volume concluded leaching (10%, 20%, 35% and 50% more water than required) with 3 replications in fully randomized experimental design in the years of 2010 and 2011. The experiment was set up using plastic pods made by cutting from 6m long waste-water pipes, and each was 115cm long and 40cm diameter, located as outdoor lysimeters system at the Ankara University Agricultural Faculty experimental field. Alfalfa seeded to each pod and they were cut 5 times for each year for green and dry forage yields. First year 10, second year totally 6 irrigation applications were performed and for every irrigation, the drainage water which run out from the lizimeters, were collected and analysed by salinity criteria’s. The soil samples were taken in different depth and analysed to describe soil profile salinization affect, and daily evaporation and other meteorological data were collected to determine plant water use states as well. At the result, there were no any significant effects of the salinity on irrigation water and leaching ratio on total green and dry forage yields of alfalfa plants as average over the 5 cuts, in both years. But, the total effects of the salinity on irrigation water and leaching ratio were significant for some cut on green and dry forage yields of alfalfa.