Wild halophytic species as forage sources: Key aspects for plant breeding

Abstract

The use of wild halophytic species as forage resources in saline environments has gained increasing attention. Argentina ranks third in area of saline soils in the world, with a third of its territory showing various degrees of salinity, sodicity and/or alkalinity. On this type of soils, rangelands are the main forage resource for livestock production. Many wild species have forage potential and can also be used for the rehabilitation of rangelands and for intercropping. Information about these species, as well as on the physiological and genetic bases associated with salinity tolerance, provides relevant tools for efficient selection methods. This study addresses Argentine wild halophyte species with forage potential and describes selection criteria with an emphasis on the following taxa: (a) Poaceae: subfamily Chloridoideae and tribes Paniceae and Triticeae, (b) Fabaceae and (c) Amaranthaceae (formerly known as Chenopodiaceae). The review is intended to contribute to the general discussion on strategies for the improvement of wild plant genetic resources, using forage species naturally growing in saline soils in Argentina as a case study.

Potential of herbaceous vegetation as animal feed in semi‐arid Mediterranean saline environments: The case for Tunisia

“…Indeed, Chenopodiaceae accumulated more CP than Poaceae. Because the protein requirement of ruminants for maintenance, growth, and reproduction is low [7–9% minimum for adult sheep or cattle and ∼14–18% for lactating animals (SCA, 2007)], the studied Chenopodiaceae species (18–34.5%) can be regarded as high‐quality forage (Makkar, 2003; Marinoni et al., 2019), as defined by Kellems and Church (2001). Beta macrocarpa and Suaeda fruticosa could be N‐rich forages, with an average CP of 18 and 29%, respectively.…”

Editorial: Grass and Forage Science – 75 years of impact and service to the science of grasslands

“…Niderkorn et al, 2019) is obviously of concern to producers, and society in general as we seek to lower emissions and emission intensity, as are the effects of climate change on grass productivity and quality (McGranahan & Yurkonis, 2018) and the need to develop species better adapted to harsher climates (e.g. Marinoni et al, 2019) or through refining the definition of persistence and yield stability for selection of existing species (Hakl et al, 2019), but perhaps the largest change in the journals submissions has been the increase in research focussing on the sustainability and productivity of grazing systems based on warm‐season grasses.…”

Salt tolerance in Argentine wheatgrass is related to shoot sodium exclusion

“…Globally, most areas with primary salinity are dedicated to livestock farming, and rangelands have become the forage basis for this activity in these regions. Introducing salt‐tolerant and high‐yielding forage species is a priority to increase the productivity of livestock production systems (Marinoni et al., 2019; Rogers et al., 2005).…”

“…Wild plant species from saline environments can provide genetic resources for breeding for salinity salt tolerance (Arzani & Ashraf, 2016; Flowers & Flowers, 2005; Isayenkov, 2019; Marinoni et al., 2019; Pensiero & Zabala, 2017; Qi et al., 2014; Rao et al., 2015; Rogers et al., 2005) because natural selection and local adaptations to such conditions are based on salt tolerance mechanisms. Wild species might be used in the two main strategies usually applied for the development of tolerant cultivars: their cultivation (Ashraf, Awan, & Mahmood, 2012; Bennett, Barrett‐Lennard, & Colmer, 2009; Rogers et al., 2005), or the identification of salt tolerance‐related genes, which can be transferred to other species through introgression or using recombinant DNA techniques (Mickelbart, Hasegawa, & Bailey‐Serres, 2015; Munns et al., 2012).…”

“…Hunz.] is a native grass from Argentina and Uruguay, and it is a potential forage resource that grows in saline environments (Marinoni et al., 2019; Zabala, Taleisnik, Giavedoni, Pensiero, & Schrauf, 2011). It is a C 3 perennial autogamous species (Tomas, Gottlieb, Schrauf, & Poggio, 2013), and two cultivars have been developed in Argentina (Pensiero & Zabala, 2017).…”