A three-year (2014-2016) trial was conducted at the experimental station of Dubai based International Center for Biosaline Agriculture. Two grasses (Sporobolusarabicus and Paspalumvaginatum) were grown in typical sandy soil of UAE “Entisols” and irrigated with three water salinity levels (EC 10, 20, 30 dS/m). Sprinkler irrigation system was used to irrigate grasses. Soil salinity (ECe) was assessed at two depths (0-25 & 25-50 cm) over a period of three years (2014-2016). The salinity monitoring results revealed it increases at both depths, lowest being in 2014 and the highest in 2016. The surface (0-25) as well as subsurface (25-50 cm) salinity is almost similar within the plots where same irrigation water was applied. Where difference occurs between soil salinity at two depths, it is insignificant and within standard deviation range. The root zone salinity at both depths in the years 2014, 2015 & 2016 is higher than the irrigation water salinity (EC = 10 dS/m). However, within same year the soil salinity is less than the water salinity of the respective irrigation waters (20 & 30 dS/m) during 2014, revealing salinity is well managed at higher irrigation water salinity. The root-zone salinity of both grasses in general increases with the increase of irrigation water salinity i.e., 10, 20 and 30 dS/m at both depths 0-25 & 25-50 cm. Relatively the higher soil salinity is recorded at the subsurface (25-50 cm). The highest root zone salinity being in Paspalumvaginatum grass with the application of fertilizers and irrigation with 30 dS/m water. Both grasses survived three water salinity levels and hence have the potential for further exploitation in the UAE and other GCC countries where similar soil and environmental conditions prevail. Other forages such as alfalfa (Medicago sativa) and Rhodes grass (Chloris guyana) require large quantities of water – from 15,700 to 48,000 m3 ha-1 yr-1 depending on soil and climate – often drawn from non-renewable groundwater sources.
