Limonium perezii , to name a few. When evaluating salinity, it is important to note the dominant anion in the water. For water with bicarbonate as its principal anion, the salinity hazard is much lower than if the principal anion were chloride. The irrigation water constituents of greatest concern to growers of ornamental species are chloride, boron, and sodium. High sodium and bicarbonate are the two I have come across most often, to date.
Plant roots can absorb sodium and transport it to leaf tissue where it accumulates.
The principle concern with bicarbonate is not that it is a toxic ion, but that it increases soil pH. Waters that contain sodium and bicarbonate as the major cation and anion can cause serious problems for plants. To control salinity, enough water must be applied to produce a leaching fraction of 10 to 25 percent. The leaching fraction is the percentage of applied water that must leave the root zone or container to accomplish the degree of leaching desired. The leaching fraction may be calculated by using Formula 1. Leaching fraction Volume applied Another common sense management suggestion is that since fertilizers add additional salts it is usually desirable to start with water sources that have as low a salinity level as possible.