2000 - Salicornia (FI 1.270) (original) (raw)
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Biology and Fertility of Soils, 2000
Inoculation of the oilseed halophyte Salicornia bigelovii Torr. with eight species of halotolerant bacteria, grown in seawater-irrigated pots under environmental conditions native to the plant's habitat, resulted in significant plant growth promotion by the end of the growing season, 8–11 months later. Statistical analysis demonstrated that inoculation with Azospirillum halopraeferens, a mixture of two Azospirillum brasilense strains, a mixture of Vibrio aestuarianus and Vibrio proteolyticus, or a mixture of Bacillus licheniformis and Phyllobacterium sp. significantly increased plant height and dry weight at the end of the season. Some of the bacterial strains also increased the number of side branches and the size of the spikes. The bacteria did not affect the number of seeds or their weight. Inoculation with the mangrove cyanobacterium Microcoleus chthonoplastes had no effect on plant foliage variables. At the end of the growing season, the N and protein content of the plant foliage was significantly reduced by bacterial inoculation; however, the N and protein content of seeds significantly increased. The P content in foliage increased significantly in plants treated with all the bacteria except M. chthonoplastes, whereas the total lipid content of foliage increased significantly only when plants were inoculated with a mixture of A. brasilense strains or with M. chthonoplastes. In three inoculation treatments palmitic acid in seeds significantly increased and linoleic acid significantly decreased. This study demonstrates the feasibility of using bacteria to promote the growth of halotolerant plants cultivated for forage and seed production in proposed seawater-irrigated agriculture.
Halophyte crop cultivation: The case for Salicornia and Sarcocornia
Environmental and Experimental Botany, 2013
Increasing soil salinization and the growing scarcity of fresh water dictate the need for a creative solution to attain sustainable crop production. To accomplish this aim, the domestication of inherently salt tolerant plant species with economic value is proposed as a straightforward methodology. Most studies investigating salt tolerance mechanisms are linked to small, experimental systems that cannot be generalized to the real agricultural context. The crops Salicornia and Sarcocornia, however, with their extreme salt tolerance and long history of consumption by humans, make the ideal model plants on which to base a halophyte growth strategy. New applied technologies were developed for leafy vegetable production using small-scale greenhouse and in-field studies. Several cultivation systems adapted to the irrigation water salinity and the available soil conditions are described. Daylength manipulation and a repetitive harvest regime partially elucidated the flowering patterns of Salicornia and Sarcocornia and showed that flowering should be prevented for maximal vegetable production. Additionally, the beneficial effect of saline irrigation on quality parameters via the enhancement of stress-induced secondary metabolites with antioxidant capacity should be considered during cultivation. This review summarizes the recent developments in growing halophytes for food production with saline irrigation, using Salicornia and Sarcocornia as a case study.
Halophytes for Food Security in Dry Lands, 2016
Salicornia bigelovii is a succulent annual salt marsh halophyte that produces oilseed on brackish and seawater irrigation. We compared oilseed and biomass production of 20 wild accessions of S. bigelovii grown under greenhouse conditions and irrigated with brackish (10 g L-1 Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)) water for two crop cycles while initiating a selection program to develop desirable agronomic traits for field cultivation in the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.). Best-performing accessions came from the Gulf of Mexico, U.S.A. and gave biomass yields of 1200-1800 g/m2 and seed yields of 188-244 g m-2, similar to open-field yields under seawater irrigation. Agronomic traits were more consistent within accessions than between accessions, with differences between accessions less pronounced during Crop 2 than Crop 1. We found that ambient greenhouse temperature above 40°C reduced biomass and seed production in all accessions.
Salinity effects on germination, growth, and seed production of the halophyte Cakile maritima
Plant and Soil, 2004
Cakile maritima (Brassicaceae) is a halophyte that thrives on dunes along the Tunisian seashore. Besides its ecological interest for soil fixation, this plant produces seeds rich in lipids (40% on dry weight basis), making it a potential source of oil for industrial use. The purpose of the present work was to study the salt tolerance of this species at germination, vegetative growth and fruiting stages. NaCl inhibited germination only at concentrations higher than 200 mM, mainly by an osmotic effect (fully reversible after seed transfer to water). At the vegetative stage, the plant exhibited a typical halophytic behaviour, requiring the presence of a moderate salt concentration (50 to 100 mM NaCl) to express its maximal growth potentialities. Growth activity was maintained up to 500 mM NaCl. Salt tolerance of C maritima at the vegetative stage seemed to be mainly based on: (i) the capacity to preserve the biomass production within the range of optimal salt concentrations; (ii) the ability to maintain the tissue water status; and (iii) the efficiency of selective K+ uptake, in spite of high Na+ concentration in the medium. Indirect evidence of Na+ utilisation by the plant for osmotic adjustment was obtained. Seed production was stimulated at 50 to 100 mM NaCl as compared to control treatment, and severely restricted at higher salt levels. Individual seed mass was moderately diminished by increasing NaCl concentrations.
1994
Salicornia europaea seedlings were exposed to various salinity and water depths for 11 weeks under controlled, growth chamber conditions. Weekly measurements were made of height, number of nodes, and number of branches per plant. Growth and survival of plants grown with the addition of NaCl were significantly greater (P <0.0001) than for plants which were not given a salt treatment. Although there were no significant (P >0.05) growth differences among plants under different water level conditions within the salt treatment group, plants which were grown without NaCl demonstrated significant decreases in growth in higher water levels, with the greatest growth occurring in the low water treatment group. All plants given a salt treatment survived until the end of the experiment. However, high mortality occurred among the plants that were not salt-treated, with all plants grown under waterlogged conditions dying by week six. The high mortality exhibited by this treatment group indicates that Salicornia, which is typically found in low marsh or inland salt marsh situations, was unable to overcome the combined stress of being continuously waterlogged in a freshwater environment. OHIO J. SCI. 94 (3): 70-73, 1994
Evaluating Salicornia as a Potential Forage Crop
International Journal of Plant & Soil Science, 2017
Salicornia is a leafless C3 annual halophyte with a greatest economic potential. A field study was conducted to evaluate Salicornia (Salicornia europaea) biomass production and feed quality and its effect on soil quality in the Mediterranean Karatas-Adana region of the Southern Turkey. Salicornia biomass, groundwater, and soils were randomly sampled from adjoining Unprotected (uncontrolled mixed grazing) and Protected (no grazing) sites. Results showed that the Protected site produced a higher amount of total (shoot and root), root, and shoot fresh biomass by 22, 45, and 12%, respectively as compared with the Unprotected site. Total, root, and shoot dry biomass production was also higher in the Protected site. Biomass collected from the Protected site had a significantly lower content of acid detergent fiber, but higher content of digestible dry-matter and relative feed values than in biomass collected from the Unprotected site. Iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) contents were 1.9 and 1.8 times higher in the Protected site than in the Unprotected site. Groundwater and soil electrical conductivities were significantly lower in the Protected site than in the Unprotected site. While the soil microbial biomass, active carbon, and intermediate C pools were 36, 21 and 56% higher, respectively, the specific maintenance respiration rates were lower (by 23%) in the Protected site than in the Unprotected site. Results suggested that increased biomass yield of Salicornia with higher feed quality under Protection could be used as a forage crop to remediate coastal saline soils with a high water-table.
Ecology, Management and Utilization of Halophytes
Bulletin of the National Institute of Ecology, 2005
In India, about 8.6 million ha land is suffering from degradation due to salinity and alkalinity problems. These soils are universally low in fertility and not suitable for conventional agricultural use. A survey conducted by traversing coastal and inland saline areas has indicated the occurrence of 1116 vascular plant species distributed under 528 genera and 131 families. Out of 60 exclusive mangrove species in the world distributed over 182305 km 2 area, 37 species are found in India, distributed in 4871 km 2 mangal formation zone. The littoral vegetation not only protects the shores and provides wood for fuel, fodder, thatching material and honey for coastal population but also creates substratum, which provides shelter to a variety of animals. The ecosystem also helps in fish production and plays a key-rote in food web. The productivity status of selected inland herbaceous halophytic communities has been reported in this paper. In recent years, however, the attention is being paid worldwide to accommodate the salt tolerant species of industrial importance for highly saline degraded areas including coastal marshes. Some oil yielding species such as Salicornia bigelovii, Salvadora persica, S. oleoides, Terminalia catappa, Calophyllum inophyllum and species of Pandanus are important and can be grown in highly saline areas irrigating with sea water or water of high salinity. Borassus flabellifer Calophyllum inophyllum, Pongamia pinnata and Nypa fruticans are other important coastal plants of economic importance. Similarly many inland salt-tolerant species find industrial application. The petro-crops like Jatropha curcas and Euphorbia antisyphilitica can successfully be grown irrigating with water of high salinity. Capparis decidua found in saline arid regions is highly medicinal and valued for commercial pickle. Simmondsia chinensis with seed-oil similar to that of sperm-whale; aromatic species like Matricaria chamomilla, Vetiveria zizanioides, Cymbopogon martinii and C. flexuosus; and medicinal plants such as Isabgol (Plantago ovata), Adhatoda vasica, Withania somnifera, senna (Cassia angustifolia) and many others can be grown successfully on alkali soil (up to pH 9.6) as well as calcareous saline soil irrigating with saline water up to EC 12 dS m-1. There are also many other salt-tolerant fruit, forage, oil-yielding, medicinal and fuelwood species, which have been tried and found suitable for highly saline situations. The scopes of many of these species of high economic value for saline and sodic habitats along with their management and utilization have been discussed in this paper. Potential of afforestation and agroforestry in carbon sequestration particularly in salt-affected soils has been worked out. The present stock and carrying capacity of carbon in Indian soils is estimated to be 63.19 Pg and 85.04 Pg, respectively. Therefore, there is a scope of C sequestration of at least 21.85 Pg. Therefore, growing forest and fruit trees, grasses and non-conventional crops of high economic value including medicinal and aromatic plants on salt-affected soils or using saline water for irrigation may play a vital role in economic growth, C-sequestration and improving environmental health.