New approaches for biosaline agriculture development, management and conservation of sandy desert ecosystems

Abstract

The major factors and current trends of soil salinization and rangelands degradation in the arid/ semiarid zones of Aral Sea Basin were discussed. The bioremediation of abandoned saline lands using natural marginal resources could be considered as one of a number of strategies that can be employed to bring these lands back to their full production potential. Different ecological groups of halophytes were characterized according to taxonomy, mineral composition and salt tolerance. A positive relationship between mineral content of wild halophytes and biomass has been identified Ion contents of evaluated wild native halophytes were relatively low and hence these species could be recognized as alternative forages, both in pure halophytic pastures and/or in mixture grass stands. Most of evaluated halophytes being late flowering and seed maturating species are recommended as a fattening feed during autumn and winter seasons, when there is a deficit of forages on the pasture lands. Introduction of strip cropping system represent an alternative for private farms in the livestock-based farming system, as well as a way to diversify feed resources under unfavorable environments. It also leads to the uniform distribution of good quality feed resources throughout the year and during difficult periods while preserving soils, water and phy-togenetic resources. Another technique used in the salt-affected sandy desert environments is to plant shrubs as windbreaks to spare the land for other crops and help protect the soils from wind erosion and sand encroachment.