Management and utilization of saline water and salt-affected arid land resources by raising salt tolerant grasses and trees

摘要

Salinity is a major cause of water and soil pollution in the arid and semiarid regions of the world,particularly in the Middle East and South Asia.Low quality irrigation water is a major contributing factor in converting arable lands to saline lands.Due to soil and water salinity,the sustainability of agriculture in Pakistan and in the other parts of the world is threatened.In order to achieve the agriculture and environmental sustainability there it is necessary that the salt-affected waters and soils are properly managed.The introduction of highly salt tolerant plant species along with appropriate agronomic practices and alterations in their utilization patterns offers a viable option for the management and utilization of these resources in the arid environments.Raising salt tolerant woody plants along with shrubs and grasses is not only cheap but also a profitable practice and can make salt-affected soils a healthy component of the overall environment.This paper describes the successful raising of salt tolerant tree and forage species on a salt-affected land using saline water and thus demonstrates the management and utilization of the saline soil and water resources in the arid environments.