BIOSALINE AGRICULTURE

SOIL

How soils are formed???

SALTS & SOURCE OF SALTS IN SOILS

• Salt IONS eg. Na + Cl = NaCl

Source/causes of salts- Parent material- Irrigation water- Sea water - Fossil- Marine & fossil deposits, chemical fertilizers, etc.- High temperature & low rainfall, etc.

SaltSalt

Adverse to plantsAdverse to plants

Osmotic EffectOsmotic Effect(Physiological (Physiological

drought)drought)

Ion Toxicity Ion Toxicity &&

(Nutrient Deficiency)(Nutrient Deficiency)

How to solve the How to solve the problem????problem????

- Engineering Approach (Drainage)

- Reclamation Approach (Chemicals, etc.)

- Saline /Bio-saline Agriculture Approach

Bio-Saline Agriculture’ can be defined as the profitable and integrated use of genetic resources (Plant, animals, fish, insects and microorganisms). The Bio-Saline Agriculture technique uses saline lands to provide an income for the farmer without the need for expensive drainage and reclamation work. Much of the land which can not be reclaimed can be used profitably by growing economically important salt-tolerant trees and shrubs.

>1500 plant species are salt-tolerant in the world.

Pakistan uses <1% of these species

Sindh is using very few of these species.

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Examples of salt-tolerant tree species (water salinity)

• Kikar = 8 to 15 ECiw dS/ m

• Safeda = 8 to 15 dS/m

• Neem 5- 7 dS/m