Nipa (Distichlis palmeri): A perennial grain crop for saltwater irrigation

Pearlstein, S.; Felger, Richard S.; Glenn, Edward P.; Harrington, J. F.; Al-Ghanem, Khalid A.; Nelson, Steven G.

doi:10.1016/j.jaridenv.2012.02.009

Cited by 23 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…It is endemic to the Colorado River Delta and produces a grain for human consumption that was a wild harvested staple food of native Cocopah people (Felger, 1979(Felger, , 2000Pearlstein et al, 2012). Furthermore, it is extremely salt tolerant, growing on seawater with salinities of 38-42 g ml -1 under natural conditions (Felger, 2000).…”

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confidence: 99%

“…D. palmeri is distinguished from common saltgrass, D. spicata, by culm height (about 1 m versus 0.3 m) and large size of its grain. D. spicata caryopses are minute while the caryopsis of D. palmeri weighs about 10 mg and is 8 mm long Pearlstein et al, 2012). Because they are borne on compound racemes, the grains are easily harvested and processed and maybe why they were a major food source for the Cocopah.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…Nevertheless, D. palmeri has persisted as the dominant halophyte in the Colorado River delta, forming self-regulating monoculture stands covering several thousand hectares along the banks of the river in its intertidal reach and on Montague Island at the mouth of the river (Nagler et al, 2006(Nagler et al, , 2009. Dense stands of D. palmeri on Montague Island yield an estimated 1250 kg ha -1 of grain (Pearlstein et al, 2012) overlapping the low end of cultivated grain crops. It is also the dominant halophyte in the low intertidal zone of the esteros south of the Colorado River delta but above the mangrove line (Nagler et al, 2009).…”

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confidence: 99%

“…Short-term trials have shown good vegetative growth, but a low percentage of flowering stems resulted in low grain yields during two years of large-scale field trials in Australia (Leake, 2004). Pearlstein et al (2012) revived interest in D. palmeri by collecting new germplasm from the Colorado River delta and conducting greenhouse trials. The high salt tolerance, high biomass production under anaerobic soil conditions, and high nutritional value of the grains were confirmed by Pearlstein (2012), and .…”

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confidence: 99%

“…Pearlstein et al (2012) revived interest in D. palmeri by collecting new germplasm from the Colorado River delta and conducting greenhouse trials. The high salt tolerance, high biomass production under anaerobic soil conditions, and high nutritional value of the grains were confirmed by Pearlstein (2012), and . However, in two years of greenhouse trials, grain production was very low, only 2% of female plants became reproductive, compared to nearly 100% each year in the natural stands from which the grain was collected.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Distichlis palmeri: Perennial Grain Yields under Saline Paddy-style Cultivation of Grains on Seawater

Bresdin¹,

Glenn²

2016

JAES

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All our major grain crops are glycophytic grasses that require irrigation with quality water, annual tillage and reseeding of non-salinized soils. Farming of perennial halophytic crops has the potential to circumvent these restrictive issues. The present study reports perennial yields and proximate analysis of Distichlis palmeri grain. D. palmeri is a C4 dioecious halophytic grass endemic to the Sea of Cortez where native Cocopah gathered its 8 mm long grain as a wild harvest. We grew first generation D. palmer perennially over four consecutive crop years under experimental saline paddy-style conditions that reflect its natural tidal-flat habitat. Mean grain yield from our experimental system with a 1:3 male to female ratio was 176 g m -2 (SD = 28.2). Crude protein ranged from 7 -12.5% with a net energy between 60 -75%. Grain from Crop 2 germinated and grew under brackish conditions into fully flowering plants in two years. Our model in Tucson, Arizona demonstrates feasibility of developing paddy-style landscape based cropping systems for the domestication of D. palmeri as a perennial grain crop for human consumption. Cropping of D. palmeri may serve soil remediation and carbon sink functions for salinized soils and as a repurpose for saline waste water supplies.

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confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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Distichlis palmeri: Perennial Grain Yields under Saline Paddy-style Cultivation of Grains on Seawater

Bresdin¹,

Glenn²

2016

JAES

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From salt pan to saucepan: Salicornia, a halophytic vegetable with an array of potential health benefits

et al. 2023

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Domestication of novel crops from the wild is a key process that ensures food security by addressing adaptability to changing environments. These wild plants offer broader and unique health benefits beyond basic nutrition. Salinization resulted in a drastic reduction of arable land and freshwater intended for cultivation. Thus, the global food production is currently under a risk of meeting the demands. Salt‐tolerant plants (i.e., halophytes) are potential food candidates that can be used to increase the productivity of salinized land and also to enhance the diversification of food production. Salicornia can survive under hypersaline and extreme climatic conditions and deliver tender shoots and dried seeds that can be used as a food with a unique taste, texture, and therapeutic benefits. Although Salicornia is not equally popular among all the food cultures globally, it has been consumed over centuries, and it is now making its way to the shelves of supermarkets in some countries such as the United States, UAE, South Korea, and Mexico. Despite being an underutilized crop, Salicornia possesses an array of chemical compounds or basic derivatives that can enhance antioxidant, anti‐obesity, antidiabetes, anti‐inflammatory, cardioprotective, and neuroprotective properties of human nutrition. The presence of considerable amounts of nutritional elements and various functional bioactive phytochemicals have opened up avenues of using Salicornia as a functional food. The present paper reviews the recognition of Salicornia as a functional food and a potential cash crop in saline agriculture to enhance agricultural productivity and also to diversify the current food supply chain.

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