Salt Farm Foundation – rapport ‘Crop Salt Tolerance’
Salt Farm Texel – Growing crops on salt affected soils – the case of potato.
-stretching the boundaries for food productionGrowing crops on salt affected soils
-the case of potato
-our visionIt is possible to grow crops directly on salt affected soils
Make use of saline soils, don’t focus on de-salinization12/05/2016
why is it important?
• Shortage of fresh water
• 70-90% water use by agriculture
• Produce more food with less
water
• Amount brackish water= fresh
water
water salinization
• 1.5 billion ha salt affected
• Plus 3 ha per minute
• $27 billion crop salt damage
Making use of saline resources:
How do we do it ? > open air laboratory at unique location12/05/2016
Large scale screening for salt tolerant varieties (work with breeders)
In 2015, 220 different varieties of potato were screened for salt tolerance
Salt Farm Texel > test facility:
7 salt concentrations, 8 repetitions, 56 plots of 160 m2
,
1 hectare total
Salt concentrations used: 1.5, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20 and 35 dS/m12/05/2016
• open air laboratory
• reliable data on crop salt tolerance
• highly controlled condition
• practical implementation
• testing all crops and halophtes
seawater salinity is 50 dS/m
Growth of salt tolerant potato at test facility Salt Farm Texel,
based on average of 4 seasons (2012-2015)
Threshold around 4-
6 dS/m12/05/2016
seawater salinity is 50 dS/m
Growth of salt tolerant potato,
based on average of 3 seasons (2012, 2013, 2014)
-Saline agricultureSaline agriculture is more than a salt tolerant crop,
also irrigation and drainage,
soil fertility,
soil structure,
soil tillage,
specific use of fertilizers,
soil amendments,
direct or real time soil salinity measurements,
management of cultivation strategy12/05/2016
Introduction of salt tolerant potato in Pakistan
(A total of 6 million hectares of salt affected land in Pakistan)
Not all location work the first time
High salinity, poor soil structure / waterlogging, low soil fertility,….12/05/2016
Validation and demonstration on 10 different locations in 2016
Close monitoring of soil salinity and cultivation
2015-2016 season
Yield at 8 dS/m is around 30 tons/ha (50% higher average)
Various locations also 50% water saving (use brackish water)
Next season 100 hectares
(picture taken in Sindh, Pakistan)12/05/2016
so:
•Open-air lab SFT gives reliable data under field conditions
•Growing crops on salt affected soil is possible
•Using brakish water for irrigation is possible
•Only implementation of potato, we want more !
•Double the amount of water for agriculture is possible !
•Suitable for 100-300 million hectares worldwide !
Feed the Future, now !!! Contact us at info@saltfarmtexel.com
Research and development salt tolerant potato,
combination of many projects and partners:
Prof. Gerrit van Straten (WUR), Prof. Peter van Bodegom (Leiden
University), Ir. Roland Oosterbaan (ILRI