Potential Use of Halophytes to Remediate Saline Soils

Abstract

Salinity is one of the rising problems causing tremendous yield losses in many regions of the world especially in arid and semiarid regions. To maximize crop productivity, these areas should be brought under utilization where there are options for removing salinity or using the salt-tolerant crops. Use of salt-tolerant crops does not remove the salt and hence halophytes that have capacity to accumulate and exclude the salt can be an effective way. Methods for salt removal include agronomic practices or phytoremediation. The first is cost- and labor-intensive and needs some developmental strategies for implication; on the contrary, the phytoremediation by halophyte is more suitable as it can be executed very easily without those problems. Several halophyte species including grasses, shrubs, and trees can remove the salt from different kinds of salt-affected problematic soils through salt excluding, excreting, or accumulating by their morphological, anatomical, physiological adaptation in their organelle level and cellular level. Exploiting halophytes for reducing salinity can be good sources for meeting the basic needs of people in salt-affected areas as well. This review focuses on the special adaptive features of halophytic plants under saline condition and the possible ways to utilize these plants to remediate salinity.

Comparison of two halophyte species (Salsola soda and Portulaca oleracea)for salt removal potential under different soil salinity conditions

“…Although soil salinity existed prior to the advent of agriculture, the salinity problem in soils is now increasing at a rate of 10% annually (Shrivastava et al, 2015). Researchers have estimated that more than 50% of the earth's arable land could be salinized by 2050 (Jamil et al, 2011;Hasanuzzaman et al, 2014;Menason et al, 2015). Therefore, soil salinity has the capacity to influence plant growth via high concentrations of toxic ions as well as negative water potential (Dikilitas and Karakas, 2012).…”

Screening Tomato Genotypes for Salt Tolerance

“…The problem of soil salinity is now increasing at a rate of 10% annually (Flowers, 2004;Foolad, 2007). It is expected that by 2050, more than 50% of the land available for agriculture will be lost because of salinity (Hasanuzzaman et al, 2014).…”

Effect of Sodium Chloride on Growth and Development of Sodium Accumulating Halophytes in Saline Water

“…At the same time, in case of Kalmilata higher biomass was found in root, stem and leaf due to vigorous growth in both saline and non-saline water. According to Hasanuzzaman et al (2014) those halophytes having high biomass content can grow under salinity stress condition and suitable phytodesalinator. So these growth factors of Kalmilata exclusively indicted their potentiality as phytodesalinator to reduce salinity in water.…”