Biosalinity
Encyclopedia
Biosalinity is the study and practice of using saline (salt
y) water for irrigating agricultural crops
.
Many arid and semi-arid areas actually do have sources of water, but the available water is usually brackish (0.5-5g/L salt) or saline
(30-50g/L salt). The water may be present in underground aquifer
s or as seawater
along coastal deserts. With traditional farming practices, saline water results in soil salinization, rendering it unfit for raising most crop plants. Indeed, many arid and semi-arid areas were simply considered unsuitable for agriculture, and agricultural development
of these areas was not systematically attempted until the second half of the 20th century.
Research in biosalinity includes studies of the biochemical
and physiological
mechanisms of salt tolerance in plants, breeding
and selection for salt tolerance (halotolerance
), discovery of periods in a crop plant's life cycle when it may be less sensitive to salt, use of saline irrigation
water to increase desirable traits (such as sugar
concentration in a fruit) or to control the ripening process, study of the interaction between salinity and soil
properties, and development of naturally salt-tolerant plant species (halophyte
s) into useful agricultural crops. See also halophile
bacteria, which thrive under conditions of high salinity.
When properly applied (watering well in excess of evapotranspiration
, maintaining soil structure
for excellent drainage), brackish-water irrigation does not result in increased salinization of the soil. Sometimes this means that farmers have to add extra water after a rainstorm, to carry salts back down to below the root zone.
Salinity
Salinity is the saltiness or dissolved salt content of a body of water. It is a general term used to describe the levels of different salts such as sodium chloride, magnesium and calcium sulfates, and bicarbonates...
y) water for irrigating agricultural crops
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
.
Many arid and semi-arid areas actually do have sources of water, but the available water is usually brackish (0.5-5g/L salt) or saline
Salinity
Salinity is the saltiness or dissolved salt content of a body of water. It is a general term used to describe the levels of different salts such as sodium chloride, magnesium and calcium sulfates, and bicarbonates...
(30-50g/L salt). The water may be present in underground aquifer
Aquifer
An aquifer is a wet underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock or unconsolidated materials from which groundwater can be usefully extracted using a water well. The study of water flow in aquifers and the characterization of aquifers is called hydrogeology...
s or as seawater
Seawater
Seawater is water from a sea or ocean. On average, seawater in the world's oceans has a salinity of about 3.5% . This means that every kilogram of seawater has approximately of dissolved salts . The average density of seawater at the ocean surface is 1.025 g/ml...
along coastal deserts. With traditional farming practices, saline water results in soil salinization, rendering it unfit for raising most crop plants. Indeed, many arid and semi-arid areas were simply considered unsuitable for agriculture, and agricultural development
Arid-zone agriculture
As an area of research and development, arid-zone agriculture, or desert agriculture, includes studies of how to increase the agricultural productivity of lands dominated by lack of freshwater, an abundance of heat and sunlight, and usually one or more of extreme winter cold, short rainy season,...
of these areas was not systematically attempted until the second half of the 20th century.
Research in biosalinity includes studies of the biochemical
Biochemistry
Biochemistry, sometimes called biological chemistry, is the study of chemical processes in living organisms, including, but not limited to, living matter. Biochemistry governs all living organisms and living processes...
and physiological
Physiology
Physiology is the science of the function of living systems. This includes how organisms, organ systems, organs, cells, and bio-molecules carry out the chemical or physical functions that exist in a living system. The highest honor awarded in physiology is the Nobel Prize in Physiology or...
mechanisms of salt tolerance in plants, breeding
Genetics
Genetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms....
and selection for salt tolerance (halotolerance
Halotolerance
Halotolerance is the adaptation of living organisms to conditions of high salinity. Halotolerant species tend to live in areas such as hypersaline lakes, coastal dunes, saline deserts, salt marshes, and inland salt seas and springs. Halophiles are a group of bacteria that live in highly saline...
), discovery of periods in a crop plant's life cycle when it may be less sensitive to salt, use of saline irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
water to increase desirable traits (such as sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
concentration in a fruit) or to control the ripening process, study of the interaction between salinity and soil
Soil
Soil is a natural body consisting of layers of mineral constituents of variable thicknesses, which differ from the parent materials in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics...
properties, and development of naturally salt-tolerant plant species (halophyte
Halophyte
A halophyte is a plant that grows where it is affected by salinity in the root area or by salt spray, such as in saline semi-deserts, mangrove swamps, marshes and sloughs, and seashores. An example of a halophyte is the salt marsh grass Spartina alterniflora . Relatively few plant species are...
s) into useful agricultural crops. See also halophile
Halophile
Halophiles are extremophile organisms that thrive in environments with very high concentrations of salt. The name comes from the Greek for "salt-loving". While the term is perhaps most often applied to some halophiles classified into the Archaea domain, there are also bacterial halophiles and some...
bacteria, which thrive under conditions of high salinity.
When properly applied (watering well in excess of evapotranspiration
Evapotranspiration
Evapotranspiration is a term used to describe the sum of evaporation and plant transpiration from the Earth's land surface to atmosphere. Evaporation accounts for the movement of water to the air from sources such as the soil, canopy interception, and waterbodies...
, maintaining soil structure
Soil structure
Soil structure is determined by how individual soil granules clump or bind together and aggregate, and therefore, the arrangement of soil pores between them...
for excellent drainage), brackish-water irrigation does not result in increased salinization of the soil. Sometimes this means that farmers have to add extra water after a rainstorm, to carry salts back down to below the root zone.
Organizations involved in biosaline research and development
- CGIAR: Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research
- ICBA: International Center for Biosaline Agriculture
- USDA's George E. Brown Jr. Salinity Laboratory
- The Seawater Foundation
- TS Prototype Creation
Popular reviews
- Glenn, E. P.; Brown, J. J.; O'Leary, J. W. (1998). "Irrigating Crops with Seawater," Scientific American, Vol. 279, no. 8, Aug. 1998, pp. 56-61.