Contents: Foreword. Preface. Introduction. Birjand Declaration. 1. Sustainable utilization of Halophytes and the significance of that concept for future generations/Helmut Lieth. 2. Potentials of using saline soils and waters for forage production in dry regions/H. Tavakoli, I. Filehkesh, V. Kashki and J. Bashtini. 3. Gainful utilization of salt affected lands: prospects and precautions/Raziuddin Ansair, M. Ajmal Khan and Bilquees Gul. 4. Molecular views on determinants and effectors of Halophytic Salt Tolerance: a case study on Suaeda aegyptiaca/H. Askari and M. Kafi. 5. Nuclear techniques aided studies for sustainable biomass production in salt affected soils using Haloculture Method/J. Rastegari and M. Farhangi-Sabet. 6. Water uptake by roots and crop salt tolerance under Brackish irrigation as affected by root environment/U.W.E. Schleiff. 7. Investigation of crop production potentiality of saline lands/M. Dehghani, G. Hadarbadi, A. Nasrabady, Mohamad and E. Kyhan. 8. Ecosystems as accelerators of the energy flow from the earth surface/Helmut Lieth. 9. Chemical composition and digestible parameters of various Halophytes/A. Riasi and M. Danesh Mesgaran. 10. Halophytes genetics of tolerance to water stress and salinity in crop plants/B. Sharma. 11. Kochia (Kochia scoparia): To be or not to be!/M.J. Al-Ahmadi and M. Kafi. 12. Effect of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers on the growth of some Halophytic forage/M. Karimi, S.A.M. Cheraghi, M.H. Banakar and S.H. Ismail. 13. Evaluation of promising Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) lines/varieties in saline condition/M.H. Saberi, A. Azari Naserabad and H. Tajalli. 14. Panicum antidotale: a potential grass for salt affected soils/Mansoor Hameed and Muhammad Ashraf. 15. Salt sensitivity of wheat at germination stage/G.H. Ranjbar, S.A.M. Cheraghi and M.H. Banakar. 16. Agriculture sector of the Benenese economy/A.D.T.E Christophe. 17. Biosaline agriculture in Pakistan/M. Ajmal Khan. 18. Crop and forage production using saline waters in dry areas/L.Y. Win. 19. Crop production in salinity affected areas in Sri Lanka/A.A.Y. Amarasinghe. 20. Current status of saline agriculture in Iran/M. Kafi, M. Jami Al Ahmadi and G.R. Zamani. 21. Ecology and economic potential of Halophytes: a case study from Turkey/M. Ozturk, A. Guvensen and S. Gucel. 22. Forage production and management in dryland areas of Uganda/E.N. Sabiiti, S.K. Mugasi and S. Katuromunda. 23. Indigenous knowledge and agriculture development in semi-arid Southeastern Indonesia/Benyamin Lakitan. 24. Saline water use in agriculture: highlights of Indian research/R.K. Trivedy. 25. Salinity and use of saline waters for irrigation in crops and forages in Cuba/Aurelio Alvarez Menedez. 26. Salinity development in the dry zone of Sri Lanka: a review/M.M.M. Najim and K.P.K. Jayakody. 27. Some forage substitutes for the state of Qatar/Yassin M. Ibrahim.
"Salinity becomes a problem in semi-arid and arid regions of the world, posing major challenge to provide food for the rapidly increasing population. Inappropriate agricultural practices have resulted in increasing saline waters and saline lands, which are worthless for conventional agriculture. Excess salts accumulate in the root zone, prevents water absorption from surrounding soil and lowering the amount of water available to the plant. The most likely effect of salinity on plants is stunted growth, and physical damage or mortality may be caused at higher salt concentration. Researches conducted in last few decades reveal hundreds of salt tolerant plants in the world most of which could be utilized as cash crops using novel ideas and technologies. However, there is still a need to develop technology of saline agriculture suited to the different ecosystems of the world and major efforts are required to domesticate them using modern technology.
This publication, through its 27 chapters exposes the difficulty of squeezing agricultural output, faced by mostly dry and saline parts of the world due to scarcity of clean water and fertile land for crop production. The volume also provides a fascinating view on the safeguards and remedies to overcome this problem by means of modern techniques and natural resistant phenomenon of the flora in itself.
The volume is chiefly based on the discussions and presentations during the International Workshop on 'Crop and Forage Production Using Saline Waters in Dry Areas' held in Birjand, Iran during 7-10 May, 2006. The information presented herein would hopefully serve as a valuable reference material for the professionals and those who are actively involved in agriculture, research and management of crop production in dry and saline areas." (jacket)
