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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
agricultural and biological sciences
Productivity enhancement of salt-affected environments through crop diversification
Land Degradation and Development, Volume 19, No. 4, Year 2008
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Description
Recent trends and future demographic projections suggest that the need to produce more food and fibre will necessitate effective utilization of salt-affected land and saline water resources. Currently at least 20 per cent of the world's irrigated land is salt affected and/or irrigated with waters containing elevated levels of salts. Several major irrigation schemes have suffered from the problems of salinity and sodicity, reducing their agricultural productivity and sustainability. Productivity enhancement of salt-affected land and saline water resources through crop-based management has the potential to transform them from environmental burdens into economic opportunities. Research efforts have led to the identification of a number of field crops, forage grasses and shrubs, aromatic and medicinal species, bio-fuel crops, and fruit tree and agroforestry systems, which are profitable and suit a variety of salt-affected environments. Several of these species have agricultural significance in terms of their local utilization on the farm. Therefore, crop diversification systems based on salt-tolerant plant species are likely to be the key to future agricultural and economic growth in regions where salt-affected soils exist, saline drainage waters are generated, and/or saline aquifers are pumped for irrigation. However, such systems will need to consider three issues: improving the productivity per unit of salt-affected land and saline water resources, protecting the environment and involving farmers in the most suitable and sustainable crop diversifying systems to mitigate any perceived risks. This review covers different aspects of salt-affected land and saline water resources, synthesizes research knowledge on salinity/sodicity tolerances in different plant species, and highlights promising examples of crop diversification and management to improve and maximize benefits from these resources. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Authors & Co-Authors
Qadir, Manzoor A.
Lebanon, Beirut
International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas Syria
Sri Lanka, Colombo
International Water Management Institute Iwmi Colombo
Tubeileh, Ashraf Mohammad Shareef
Canada, Guelph
University of Guelph
Akhtar, Javaid
Pakistan, Faisalabad
University of Agriculture, Faisalabad
Larbi, Asamoah
Lebanon, Beirut
International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas Syria
Minhas, Paramjit Singh
India, New Delhi
Indian Council of Agricultural Research
Khan, M. Ajmal
Pakistan, Karachi
University of Karachi
Statistics
Citations: 260
Authors: 6
Affiliations: 6
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1002/ldr.853
ISSN:
10853278
e-ISSN:
1099145X
Research Areas
Environmental
Food Security