Agrochimica, Vol. LVII - N. 3 July-September 2013 *  Corresponding author: habibathar@yahoo.com Ability of Puccinellia ciliata to grow in a waterlogged saline environment M.S. HAIDER 1 , M. IBRAHIM 2,3 , H.R. ATHAR 4,* , G. SARWAR 1 , M.A. TAHIR 1 1 University College of Agriculture, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan. 2 Department of Environmental Sciences, Government College University Faisalabad, Pakistan. 3 Department of Agricultural Environment, National Academy of Agricultural Science, Rural Development Administration (RDA), Suwon, Republic of Korea. 4 Institute of Pure and Applied Biology, Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan, Pakistan Keywords: ash, grasses, growth, salinity tolerance, waterlogging Introduction. – Sodium toxicity and osmotic effect are the prin- ciple factors that reduce the growth of plants under saline environment. Out of 20.6 million ha of the total cultivated area of Pakistan about 6.7 million ha are salt-affected (Govt. of Pakistan, 2009), and each year a further 30,000 ha of cultivated land is engulfed by salinity and waterlog- ging (Ram, 2010). The problem of salinity can be successfully tackled with the saline agriculture approach, i.e. utilization of salt-tolerant crops, trees, shrubs and grasses (Ibrahim et al., 2007; Ashraf et al., 2008). In Pakistan, about 12% of the total cultivated area is used for the produc- tion of forages and fodders in competition with other crops (Govt. of Pakistan, 2009). If the salt-affected lands could be used for growing forage, this area could be spared for other crops. Such land is not suited for the growth of conventional crops due to high salinity/sodicity; salt tolerant grasses, bushes and trees, however, could be successfully grown. Keeping in mind these aspects many researchers have emphasized the development of Leptochloa fusca (Kallar grass) pastures for successful utilization of salt-affected soils (Malik et al., 1986; Aslam et al., 1993). This grass can be used as forage for cattle, sheep and goat (Malik et al., 1986). One of the limitations, however, is that the grass is a summer- growing plant and its juvenile growth is restricted from March to October in this country. Hence, this grass cannot sustain animal health and vigour during winter (Sandhu et al., 1981). Puccinellia (Puccinellia ciliata Bor.) is substantially resistant to salts and well known for winter grazing of livestock in China and some countries having Mediterranean climate, e.g. Received 15 June 2013 – Received in revised form 30 September 2013 – Accepted 30 September 2013