World Of Turf Exam 2 Practice

High salinity in irrigation water primarily causes osmotic stress. When the soil solution is salty, the water potential outside the plant roots becomes less favorable for water movement into the roots. The roots have to work harder to take up water, which reduces actual water uptake and creates a water deficit inside the plant. This stresses the turf, leading to wilting, slower growth, and poorer turf quality. Ionic toxicity from salts like sodium and chloride can further damage root cells and disrupt nutrient balance, compounding the problem. The idea that salinity would boost photosynthesis isn’t supported by how plants respond to salt stress—photosynthesis is usually impaired under saline conditions due to stomatal closure and metabolic disruption. Salinity also doesn’t reliably make turf more disease-resistant; in fact, stressed plants are often more vulnerable to diseases. And while salts can influence soil chemistry, a dramatic, direct drop in soil pH isn’t the primary or consistent outcome of high salinity. So the main effect is reduced water uptake caused by osmotic stress.