Halophytes vis-à-vis Saline Agriculture
Unknown authors
Abstract
The global population is growing rapidly, necessitating food production to combat climate change and conserve biodiversity.The cultivable land resources are finite rather than declining due to developmental works, faulty methods of cultivation, over-exploitation of resources, and urban pressure on arable land; therefore, every piece of land available including degraded saltlands and salt marshes needs to be utilized for food production.As good-quality water per capita is declining, poor-quality water including sea water will become inevitable for irrigation in agriculture.Saline agriculture offers an alternative to increasing productivity in this situation.During the last two decades or so, the attention of global researchers and policymakers has been focused on identifying, evaluating, domesticating and developing new crops of potential halophytes.These are plants which can thrive in high-salinity environments, making them a promising solution for addressing food security challenges in regions with limited freshwater resources.Halophytes are diverse trees, shrubs, forbs, and grasses that can adapt to various environments, including xerophytic and wet conditions under salt stress.They fill crucial ecological niches in various ecosystems and are classified by ecologists based on their habitats, life forms, and adaptation strategies.They can be improved into salt-resistant crops or used as genes for conventional crop species.With 2600 known species, only a few have been extensively studied for their agricultural, food, oil, and pharmaceutical applications.Efforts have been made to understand their genetic makeup, adaptability, and potential for sustainable agriculture.Keeping in view the availability of more than a billion hectares of saltlands (otherwise lying almost barren) including salt marshes and degraded mangrove areas and the rich biodiversity of halophytes, there is a wide scope of saline agriculture and its role in the food industry, phytoremediation, as well as a source of bioactive compounds including modern drugs.The new technologies for the cultivation of halophytes help to utilize saline and arid wastelands and waterlogged areas sustainably for humans and livestock.Having the above-mentioned facts in mind the present book "Halophytes vis--vis Saline Agriculture: Perspectives and Opportunities for Food Security" is conceptualized.The book, has been edited by JC Dagar, SR Gupta, and Ashwani Kumar, who have made a significant contribution to the field.