Saline water in animal production: impacts on soil and indirect effects on forage.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48017/dj.v10i4.3620Keywords:
Saline stress, Remove Saline , Remove Saline stress, Sodification, Remove Sodification IonicAbstract
Water scarcity in arid and semiarid regions has intensified the use of saline waters in animal and forage production, raising concerns about the impacts on soil and animal performance. This review investigates the main mechanisms involved in soil salinization processes resulting from irrigation with low-quality water, highlighting the effects on soil physicochemical and biological properties, such as electrical conductivity, cation exchange capacity, microbial activity and nutrient cycling. The adverse effects of salinity on the growth and nutritional value of forage plants are discussed, with emphasis on osmotic stress, ionic toxicity and nutritional imbalance. It also analyzes the effects of salinity on the nutrition and productive and reproductive performance of ruminants, highlighting the need for integrated strategies such as the selection of tolerant species, fertilizer management and mineral balancing of diets. The findings show that, although saline water may be a viable alternative to water scarcity, its use requires careful planning to mitigate negative effects on production systems.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Aline Gomes de Andrade Silva, Cintia Mirely de Araújo, Davi Felipe Soares Coelho, Jéssica Daisy do Vale Bezerra, Glayciane Costa Gois, Rita Cássia Rodrigues de Souza, Cleyton de Almeida Araújo
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