Biosaline Agriculture as a Climate Change Adaptation for Food Security

427 Pages·2023·14.27 MB·English

by  Redouane Choukr-Allah, Ragab Ragab

Redouane Choukr-Allah
Ragab Ragab   Editors
Biosaline
Agriculture as a
Climate Change
Adaptation
for Food Security
Biosaline Agriculture as a Climate Change
Adaptation for Food Security
·
Redouane Choukr-Allah Ragab Ragab
Editors
Biosaline Agriculture
as a Climate Change
Adaptation for Food Security
Editors
Redouane Choukr-Allah Ragab Ragab
Agricultural Innovation and Technologies UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology,
Transfer Center UKCEH
University Mohamed VI Polytechnic Wallingford, Oxfordshire, UK
Benguerir, Morocco
ISBN 978-3-031-24278-6 ISBN 978-3-031-24279-3 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-24279-3
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Prof. Atef Hamdy
This book is dedicated to the memory of Professor Dr. Atef Hamdy
who worked at the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute, CIHEAM/Bari
for several decades before his passing away. Professor Hamdy was
a friend, a colleague, an expert, and a leading scientist in the field
of non-conventional water resources for irrigation. Professor Hamdy
was a Project Leader of several research projects on the use of non-
conventional water resources (saline/brackish water, treated wastew-
ater, drainage water, etc.) and the use of non-conventional crops (e.g.,
halophytes crops and fodder). Professor Hamdy trained and inspired
many young professionals, published several books and reports,
and supervised numerous Master theses on non-conventional water
resources and Bio-Saline Agriculture. On a personal side, Professor
Hamdy was a close friend to the editors for several decades. His kind-
ness, human touch, and caring attitude toward others are just a few
characteristics to mention here to describe him. Professor Hamdy left
a wealth of knowledge available for future generations to benefit from
and he will be remembered always for his dedication, commitment
to the use of non-conventional water resources, and for improving
agriculture production.
Foreword
The increased demand for freshwater supplies in arid regions threaten the future
sustained availability of fresh water for irrigation and crop production. Currently,
the quantity of water in these regions is very limited and most of the time is saline.
The current climate change predictions indicate that many arid and semi-arid regions
presently irrigated will face increasing temperatures and decreasing rainfall, further
aggravating the water scarcity in these regions. The need to increase food production
in these regions can only be achieved by either increasing the productivity of irrigated
lands and/or by increasing the area under irrigation. In addition, alternative water
supplies such as saline/brackish water as well as more efficient use of existing water
supplies are essential to avoid food crises in regions such as the Middle East, North
Africa, and to sustain food production. However, numerous risks face the use of
saline/brackish water if not properly managed, such as the increase in soil salinity
and yield reductions. On the other hand, saline/brackish water could be looked at as an
opportunity for irrigation, whether used directly or being desalinated or mixed with
treated wastewater. This book will include information on the relationship between
climate change, salt-affected habitats, and salinization processes.
Soil salinization is one of the more subtle and progressive causes of soil degra-
dation, threatening some of the most productive lands currently under irrigated agri-
culture. It is also an increasing environmental concern for those areas for which the
suggested climate change scenarios predicted an increase in temperature, decrease
in rainfall (i.e. aridity increase), and/or sea level rise. Salinity is also a natural
inherent condition of many ecosystems contributing to global biodiversity supporting
halophytes.
Salinization is a problem that has long been associated with agriculture, both as a
constraint and as the result of inappropriate management practices. In addition, agri-
culture intensification, as well as changes in temperature and precipitation patterns
expected from climate change, are likely to further affect the salt-water balance of
fragile ecosystems.
There is no great deal of information on the relationship between climate change,
salt-affected habitats, and salinization processes. Hence, there is a need to establish
a better picture of the most affected or vulnerable areas and to promote practices that
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viii Foreword
can be used to adapt agricultural production in areas susceptible to climate change.
This will contribute to food security and reduce stress on ecosystems.
The aim of this book is to showcase the global potential of Biosaline Agriculture.
Other objectives of the book include an update on the development of recent inno-
vations in the field of Biosaline Agriculture, the use of saline/brackish water, and
the desalination of seawater. Different chapters will also discuss solutions that are
adapted to local conditions and are part of a sustainable development perspective.
Hicham El Habti
President Mohammed VI Polytechnic University
Ben Guerir, Morocco
Ismahane Elouafi
Chief Scientist at FAO
Rome, Italy
Hajbouha Zoubeir
Office Cherifien des Phosphotes
Casablanca, Morocco
Preface
Globally, salinity is the most prevalent abiotic stress that severely reduces the growth
and yield of several important field crops to a great extent. In more than 100 countries,
about 20% of its irrigated agriculture is salt affected. That represents 100 million ha
of arable land is adversely affected by high salt concentration which reduces crop
growth and yield.
The Salinization trend is increasing world-wide due to freshwater scarcity, climate
change, and sea level rise. However, salt-tolerant crops and innovative agricultural
practices can help to ensure food security. This book reports different interventions
presented in the international Forum of Biosaline agriculture that has been held in
Laayoune, Morocco (2019). The conclusion of this event demonstrated the potential
of using alternative crops and management based on contributions from different
experts who presented their experiences in several regions (South America, North
Africa, and the Middle East).
It is now accepted that salinity is an intrinsic part of our landscape and that we need
to adopt practices to safeguard the environment and minimize the negative impact of
salinity. Indeed, the need to address the spread of salinity worldwide, particularly in
Semi-Arid and Arid regions is urgent. It has been estimated that total land and water
degradation caused by salinity costs $27 billion as a loss in crop yield per year.
The objective of this book is to suggest different approaches for sustainable
management of salt-affected regions.
The book will include (i) Detailed knowledge of plant physiology under saline
condition, (ii) Deep understanding of the salinity-biophysical processes in the context
of atmosphere, plant, water, soil, and groundwater relationships, (iii) Tools for
measuring soil salinity changes over time, (iv) Tools for modeling and anticipating
the evolution of the system (salinity, yield, dry matter, uptake, groundwater, …) as
a whole and evaluating possible management alternatives, (v) Set of indicators for
communicating with decision-makers and stakeholders.
The introduction of this book highlighted the issue of “Why we need to use saline
water and saline soil resources” to alleviate the impact of freshwater scarcity due to
population growth and climate change and how to minimize the impacts of salinity
on soil, plant, and the environment through sound management of irrigation water,
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x Preface
soil, nutrients, and crops. Chapter 1 provided an overview of the salinity situation
and the adaptation and mitigation strategies with special reference to the Middle East
and North Africa and South America. Chapter 2 focused on the best practices for
saline and brackish water management. Chapter 3 presented the progress and novelty
of new approaches to managing saline water for conventional, nonconventional, and
forage crops. Chapter 4 offered insights on land management when irrigating with
saline water, Chap. 5 listed the challenges faced when using saline water in irrigated
agriculture. Chapter 6 illustrated how the SALTMED Model can be used as a reliable
tool for Field, Water, Crops, and N-Fertilizers management when using fresh, saline,
and brackish water. Chapter 7 debated whether desalination cost and technology are
suitable for agriculture production.
Although the Editors of this book have organized an independent review of all
articles, the contents remain the sole responsibility of the authors. Finally, the Editors
would like to thank the Phosboucraa Foundation in Laayoune, University Mohamed
VI Polytechnic in Benguerir, and the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture
in Dubai for their participation and financial support.
Benguerir, Morocco Redouane Choukr-Allah
Wallingford, UK Ragab Ragab