Research Developments in Saline Agriculture PDF
Preview Research Developments in Saline Agriculture
Jagdish Chander Dagar Rajender Kumar Yadav Parbodh Chander Sharma Editors Research Developments in Saline Agriculture Research Developments in Saline Agriculture Jagdish Chander Dagar Rajender Kumar Yadav Parbodh Chander Sharma Editors Research Developments in Saline Agriculture Editors JagdishChanderDagar RajenderKumarYadav NaturalResourceManagement,Indian ICAR-CentralSoilSalinityResearchInstitute CouncilofAgriculturalResearch,Krishi Karnal,Haryana,India AnusandhanBhawan-II,Pusa NewDelhi,India ParbodhChanderSharma NaturalResourceManagement,Indian CouncilofAgriculturalResearch,Krishi AnusandhanBhawan-II,Pusa NewDelhi,India ICAR-CentralSoilSalinityResearchInstitute Karnal,Haryana,India ISBN978-981-13-5831-9 ISBN978-981-13-5832-6 (eBook) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-5832-6 #SpringerNatureSingaporePteLtd.2019 Thisworkissubjecttocopyright.AllrightsarereservedbythePublisher,whetherthewholeorpartofthe materialisconcerned,specificallytherightsoftranslation,reprinting,reuseofillustrations,recitation, broadcasting,reproductiononmicrofilmsorinanyotherphysicalway,andtransmissionorinformation storageandretrieval,electronicadaptation,computersoftware,orbysimilarordissimilarmethodology nowknownorhereafterdeveloped. Theuseofgeneraldescriptivenames,registerednames,trademarks,servicemarks,etc.inthispublication doesnotimply,evenintheabsenceofaspecificstatement,thatsuchnamesareexemptfromtherelevant protectivelawsandregulationsandthereforefreeforgeneraluse. The publisher, the authors, and the editorsare safeto assume that the adviceand informationin this bookarebelievedtobetrueandaccurateatthedateofpublication.Neitherthepublishernortheauthorsor theeditorsgiveawarranty,expressorimplied,withrespecttothematerialcontainedhereinorforany errorsoromissionsthatmayhavebeenmade.Thepublisherremainsneutralwithregardtojurisdictional claimsinpublishedmapsandinstitutionalaffiliations. ThisSpringerimprintispublishedbytheregisteredcompanySpringerNatureSingaporePteLtd. The registered company address is: 152 Beach Road, #21-01/04 Gateway East, Singapore 189721, Singapore Foreword Todayhumanityfacesadoublewhammyoffoodinsecurityandpopulationgrowth. Theworld’sfoodsupplyisalreadythreatenedbyclimatechange.Ontheonehand, inthepast20orsoyears,therehavebeenabruptslowdowns,plateaus,ordeclinesin the rate of production of major crops like rice, wheat, and maize in major cereal- producingregionsaroundtheworld.AstudybyateamofscientistsattheUniversity ofNebraska-Lincolnpointsoutthatnearly31%oftotalglobalrice,wheat,andmaize production has seen plateaus or sharp decreases in yield gain. Climate change and degradationoflandandothernaturalresourcesaresingledoutassomeofthemain causes. Ontheotherhand,one-thirdofthetotalamountoffoodproducedgloballyislost or wasted everyyear. Arecent analysisby theBostonConsulting Groupestimates thatitis1.6billiontonnesoffoodworthabout1.2trillionUSD,whichisprojectedto increase if not addressed. That is an unsettling excess at a time when some 870 millionpeopleareundernourishedworldwide. As the global population is forecast to hit 9.7 billion by 2050, these problems provide some context for the scale of the task ahead. History has, however, a precedent when science helped to transform global agriculture and save millions v vi Foreword ofpeoplefromhungerandpovertyinwhatcametobeknownasthegreenrevolu- tion. Once again, we need to enlist the power of science in tackling the global challenges. Onthefoodproductionfront,salineagricultureholdsgreatpromiseasnewarable lands and freshwater resources are in short supply. It is a means to adapt to salinization of soil and water resources, which is undermining agricultural produc- tion. Salinization is causing huge economic losses today in many countries where agricultureisamajorcontributortogrossdomesticproduct(GDP). Althoughitispartlyaresultofnaturalprocessesincertainenvironments,human activities such as inappropriate irrigation practices, among many others, are the majorcauseofsalinizationglobally. In their study, Qadir et al. note that every day for over 20 years, an average of 2000hectaresofirrigatedlandinaridandsemiaridareasin75countrieshavebeen degraded by salt. They point out that about 62 million hectares, or 20% of the world’sirrigatedlands,havebeenaffectedbysalinitytovaryingdegrees,upfrom45 million hectares in the early 1990s. They put the global inflation-adjusted annual costofsalt-inducedlanddegradationinsome310millionhaofirrigatedareasat27.3 billionUSDbecauseoflostcropproductiononly. Inviewoftheseworryingfigures,itismoreimportantthaneverbeforetoenhance productivityandutilityoflandsandwaterresourcesdegradedbysalinityandother factorstomeetfuturefooddemand. Theseresourcesshouldbeviewed asassetsrather than liabilities.Everytype of land andwatersuitablefor agricultural production shouldbe used asthe UN Food and Agriculture Organization projects a need to produce 70% more food by 2050, includinga50%riseinannualcerealproductiontoabout3billiontonnes. Itisnecessarytotapintothehugepotentialofsalinewaterresources,aswellas othertypesofnon-freshwater,inadditiontoimprovingwaterefficiencyandproduc- tivity.Thecompetingdemandsoftheagricultural,energy,industrial,anddomestic sectorswillonlyintensifyduetourbanizationandpopulationgrowth. Scientists have already done a great deal of work to study ways to improve agriculturalproductionandecosystemresilienceonsalt-affectedlandsandinother degraded environments through cultivation of non-conventional plants that are naturally resistant to salinity, heat, and drought, as well as the use of innovative technologies.Therehasalsobeenconsiderableresearchoncultivationandtheuseof halophytesfordifferentpurposes,includingfood. Thanks to these research efforts, there are now many solutions available to mitigate and adapt to salinization ranging from agroforestry to integrated agri- aquaculturesystems. Thiscompilationpresentsasynthesisofmanystudiesandapproachesinvarious disciplinestosalineagriculturespecificallyandsalinitymanagementgenerally. All contributors are recognized experts in their relevant fields and have shared their knowledge and experience to enrich this volume. I would like to sincerely appreciatetheircontributionsandtheeffortsoftheeditorswhohavemadesurethis publicationisofhighstandardandquality. Foreword vii Ihopethispublication willserveasanimportantresourceforscientists,policy- makers,environmentalists,andeveryonewhocaresabouttheenvironment,salinity, andfoodsecurity. InternationalCenterforBiosalineAgriculture(ICBA) IsmahaneElouafi Dubai,UAE Preface Soils,madeupofinorganicandorganiccompounds,liquid,gases,livingorganisms, and soluble salts, are a natural surface feature of the landscape. Salts are present usually in small amounts in all waters, soils, and rocks. Under certain conditions, thesesaltsaccumulatebyaprocesscalled“salinization.”Thus,soilsalinizationisthe accumulation of water-soluble salts within soil layers above a certain level that adversely affects crop production, environmental health, and economic welfare. Soil salinity is generally described and characterized in terms of the concentration and composition of the soluble salts. Even though soluble salts are inherent in all soils, there are many processes (such as weathering of soil minerals, salt added through rains, agronomic practices such as fertilizer and pesticide application and irrigation with poor-quality waters, saline groundwater intrusion with water table fluctuations,dumpingofindustrialandmunicipalwastes,etc.)thatcontributetothe buildupofsaltsinsoilprofile.Incoastalareas,duetoincreaseinsealevel,seawater intrusion onto land deposits a large amount of salts in soil. Salt is also carried through wind and deposited on vegetation and soil in these areas. Thus, all soil typeswithdiversemorphological,physical,chemical,andbiologicalpropertiesmay beaffectedbysalinization. Beingoneoftheoldestenvironmentalproblems,salinizationhasbeenconsidered as “one of the seven main paths to desertification” and “a major process of land degradation.” Soil salinity is a major constraint in crop production, affecting more than 100 countries, worldwide. Globally, more than 800 million hectares of land, accounting for nearly 6% of the world’s total land area and approximately 20% of thetotalagriculturalland,isaffectedbysalinity.Dependinguponthenatureofsalts, thesesoilsareclassifiedassaline,saline-sodic,andsodic.Theextentofsalt-affected soils is highest in Asia-Pacific region countries like China, Egypt, India, Iran, Pakistan, Thailand, and Australia. Other major countries outside this region are Argentina, Russia, and the USA. Generally, salt-affected soils are predominant in aridandsemiaridregions. Further, the availability of good-quality water is scarce, and the use of saline groundwater in agriculture is inevitable. In most of the arid and semiarid regions, especially under deserts, the groundwater aquifers are saline or sodic, and these waters are being utilized since time immemorial for irrigation. Now, the data available indicate that saline groundwater is used for irrigation in at least 50 ix x Preface countries throughout the world. In coastal areas, the salinity problems are more complex, and in the scenario of climate change and sea-level rise, these problems willaggravateandmoreandmoreareaswillturnsalineduetointrusionofseawater ingood-qualityaquifers. Technologicalknowledgegeneratedtilldatehashelpedintamingthesoilsalinity problemandrestoringtheirfullpotentialinlargetractsoflandindifferentcountries. However,newchallengesaresettobefacedeitherduetochangingclimateorland- useanomalies,leadingtoexponentialincreaseintheareaundersalinity.Withnew challenges cropping up, soil salinity-related stresses can be more pronounced and more damaging to crop production in the coming years. Identifying gaps in our knowledge,therefore,isofutmostimportancetounderstandthethreatsandconvert themtoopportunitytoenhancecropandlandproductivity. The Central Soil Salinity Research Institute (CSSRI), an Indian Council of AgriculturalResearch(ICAR)InstituteatKarnal,Haryana,India,duringitsjourney approaching50years,sinceitsinceptionin1969,hasmadeimpressivecontributions in terms of development of technologies for reclamation and management of salt- affected soils and waters. Besides US Soil Salinity Laboratory, CSSRI is the only institutionintheworldcompletelydedicatedtothedevelopmentoftechnologiesfor saltylandandwatermanagementforcropproduction.Ithasbeenintheforefront,for the last couple of decades, in developing technologies for holistic management of salty soils and waters and extendingthem tomillions offarmers through itsrobust extension mechanism. In the context of climate change, the institute has guarded itselftodevelopmechanismsformitigationandadaptationofenvironment-friendly smartagriculturalpracticestohandlesaltandclimatestress-relatedproblems.Onits 50thanniversaryyear2019,CSSRIincollaborationwiththeIndianSocietyofSoil Salinity and Water Quality brought together the international scientific community devotedtosalinityresearchthroughits“GoldenJubileeInternationalSalinityCon- ference on Resilient Agriculture in Saline Environments under Changing Climate: ChallengesandOpportunities”from7to10February,2019.Theconferenceaimed tolayastrongfoundationforrejuvenatedresearcheffortsandtobuildinternational collaborations to combat land and water salinization and strengthen world food security in backdrop of climate change. Besides other activities, it was planned to bringoutabookentitledResearchDevelopmentsinSalineAgriculture.Thecontents of the book are classified into five major themes: introduction, history, and perspectives;drivers,stressors,andindicators;salinizationmechanismsandimpacts; management opportunities and strategies; and impact assessment, policies, and socioeconomic issues. Many renowned research workers engaged in diversified fields of salinity have contributed 31 chapters in the fields of their specialization. The book covers historic perspectives of salinity; modern technologies of salinity mappingincludingopticalandradarremotesensingandsynergybetweenSentinel- MSI and Landsat-OLI; diagnosis and prognosis of salty soils and waters; drivers, stressors,andindicatorsofsalinityincludingsalinitytoleranceindicators,salt-plant- microbe interactions, and their ecological role; current understanding of mangrove forests; salinization processes, mechanisms, and impacts including engineered Preface xi polymericandnano-materialsfortamingsaltysoilsandwaters;potentialpollutants insoilandirrigationwaters;managementopportunitiesandstrategiestobeadopted in changed environment; developing vegetable-, forest-, and fruit tree-based agro- forestryandintegratedfarmingsystemsandengineeringandbiologicalapproaches for reclamation of waterlogged saline soils; and impact assessment, policies, and socioeconomicissuesaddressinggenderandothersocioeconomicdimensions. This publication attempts to bring forward various issues and challenges being faced by the scientific ferternity to deal with saline agriculture especially in harmonizing synergy from salt-affected soils and utilization of poor-quality waters for irrigation purposes. Possibilities of several alternatives to utilize sodic, saline, andotherpoor-qualitywatershavebeenexplored.Weneedtodevelopmulti-stress- tolerant crops using modern tools of molecular biology and genetic engineering. Introgressionofsalt-anddrought-tolerantgenes/QTLsemployingmodernbiotech- nological approaches andmarker-assisted breeding inhigh-yielding mega varieties ofdifferentfoodcropswouldhelpmitigatetheadverseeffectsofclimatechangeon food security. Above all, we need policy support to implement rehabilitation programs.Alltheseaspectshavebeenaddressedinthispublication. Wehopethatthepublicationwouldbeofimmenseusetoresearchersinplanning their future line of research, environmentalists to understand the biodiversity of saline habitats including mangroves and mechanism of unique saline ecosystems, farmers and other stakeholders to find out the solutions of their problems, and studentsforawarenessregardingvitalissuesofenvironmentandforpolicy-makers totakerationaldecisionstoimplementthepoliciesinthisvitalareaoflandandwater degradation. Theeditorsthankallthecontributorstothisvolumefortheirexcellenteffortsand timely submission of chapters and hope that this book will open new vistas in the field of saline agriculture. We are also thankful to Dr. Ismahane Elouafi, Director General, International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA), Dubai, UAE, who readilyagreedtowritetheforewordforthispublication. NewDelhi,India J.C.Dagar Karnal,Haryana,India R.K.Yadav Karnal,Haryana,India P.C.Sharma
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