Utilization Of Halophytes As Non-conventional Crops For Arid Saline Lands Is Best Alternate: Prof. Dr. Liu

KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Jan, 2019 ) :Professor Dr. Xiaojing Liu of Chinese academy of Sciences has said that the utilization of halophytes as non-conventional crops for arid saline lands holds immense potential to ensure food security in the future.

This he stated while speaking at an international conference on "Sustainable Development: Halophytes for Green Revolution" here on Tuesday.

The Institute of Sustainable Halophyte Utilization (ISHU) of the University of Karachi (KU) has organized the conference at the Karachi University business school (KUBS), KU, scheduled from January 07 to 09.

Professor Dr. Xiaojing Liu informed that the audience about the research of his group that can improve crop productivity and minimize that salt build up following salty water irrigation. He put stress on research-based amendments to soil structure and chemical composition that can prevent degradation of soil.

Professor Dr. Todd Egan from USA highlighted that salinization of lands is one of the major impediments to conventional agriculture especially in arid and semi-arid regions of the world. Lack of rain and high summer temperatures can further aggravate the situation in these areas.

Most of our conventional crops are salt-sensitive and cannot endure even low levels of soil salinity. Hence, there is a dire need for innovative approaches to overcome aforementioned problems.

He said that his team has prepared a "Superabsorbent" that can retain about 90% of the soil moisture and essential nutrients, a pre-requisite for long-term crop productivity.

Use of such material can be of immense aid for high saline agriculture.

Professor Dr. Hans Werner Koyro from the Giessen University, Germany delivered his lecture about global climate change and use of biochar as a potential remedy to minimize harmful impacts of climate change on plants. He said that anthropogenic activities have accelerated the global climate change which are evident worldwide in forms of weather anomalies, drought spells, floods and tsunamis.

These conditions also impact on crop productivity, which is contrary to our increasing needs for food. Use of "Biochar" can be of one of the solutions for enhancing productivity of our agricultural lands, he said.

Biochar can sequester sodium and heavy metals, which are toxic for plants. Hence, use of biochar can play an important role in cultivation of halophytes as non-conventional crops on saline lands in sustainable way.

Dr. Irfan Khan, Professor of the Environmental Sciences, Islamic University Islamabad presented his views about use of halophytes for the success of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) particularly SDG-2, which aims to eliminate hunger from the world.

Halophyte cultivation as non-conventional crops is also in accordance with Pakistan's National Sustainable Development Policy, he said. He laid emphasis on the fact that generally there is a gap between policy-making bodies and academia, which has to be bridged in order to make these policies successful.

He also praised the organizers for holding the conference and declared it the need of the time.