Effects of Sea Water Salinity on the Growth of Vetiver Grass (Chrysopogon Zizanioides L.)

Doan Chi Cuong1, Vo Van Minh1, and Paul Truong2

1. Da Nang University, Vietnam

2. TVNI Technical Director, Brisbane, Australia

Abstract: Vetiver grass (Chrysopogon zizanioides L.) has an ability to adapt and develop in many different environments and to recover quickly from the disadvantage conditions of the environment. It can absorb large amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and dissolved heavy metals in the environment. Studies to date on salt tolerance of vetiver grass have been conducted mainly in the soil environment and much less so in the aquatic environment. Therefore, a full study on sea water salinity tolerance of vetiver is needed to solve problems of pollution in estuaries — where water quality is often affected by the activities of humans as well as those of industrial and agricultural productions, which have increasingly become more acute. This paper presents results of research on the growth of vetiver affected by the level of sea water salinity. The research results showed that vetiver grass is capable of growing in sea water salinity ranging from 0 to 19.64 dS/m (0-11‰).

Key words: salt tolerance; vetiver grass; estuary; Da Nang Bay