Abstract
Cultivation of honeysuckle, Lonicera japonica, irrigated with brackish-water, represents a new way to exploit saline-alkali land in the Yellow River Delta. However, how L. japonica responds to brackish-water irrigation is not clear. Biomass allocation, carbon-nitrogen stoichiometry, and carbon and nitrogen storage in L. japonica under four brackish-water irrigation treatments (T0: 0 mm, T40: 40 mm, T80: 80 mm, T120: 120 mm) were examined. Brackish-water irrigation significantly affects tissue biomass and the proportions of roots and stems in L. japonica. Root, stem, and leaf biomass increase with increased amount of brackish-water irrigation. The proportion of root biomass decreases significantly with increased brackish-water irrigation, root and leaf C contents increase, and stem and leaf N contents decrease. The proportion of root C storage trends downward with increased brackish-water irrigation, but the curve is concave for the proportion of root N storage. Root, stem, and leaf biomass correlate significantly with C and N contents, and C:N ratios for the three organs, excepting leaf C contents. Our results suggested that T120 is more conducive to the biomass accumulation of L. japonica, and promotes the C content of most organs, but reduces their N content. These findings improve our understanding of the response of L. japonica to brackish-water irrigation, demonstrate that brackish-water irrigation is a viable technique to save water in irrigation, and identify a new use for saline-alkali land in the Yellow River Delta.