Speaker
Description
Objectives:
Most arable lands in Mediterranean countries are located in arid and semiarid regions, where water and soil salinity, water shortage and nutrients deficiency in soils are the major constraints affecting food and fodder production. In this context, halophytes emerge as alternative cash crops to be used in sustainable saline production systems, due to their ability to cope with soil and water salinization and to restore biodiversity. The overall objective of our research is to develop sustainable and environmentally friendly new farming and producing systems based on the use of halophytes.
Methods:
For this purpose, two complementary approaches using the halophyte Arthrocaulon macrostachyum have been implemented:
(a) Intercropping and sequential cropping systems between tomato (Solanum lycopersicum var. Sargento) and the halophyte in saline soil conditions. The goal was to improve tomato yield in a cost-effective biological way while providing halophytes as value-added crops.
(b) Micropropagation of elite halophyte germplasm. The control of plant micropropagation is a prerequisite for fundamental research but also for applied purposes such as saline agriculture, site rehabilitation, or endangered plant preservation.
Results:
(a) Sequential cropping altered tomato plants physiology, which was reflected in changes in the antioxidant metabolism and photosynthesis performance as well as in the quality of the fruit. Remarkably, sequential cropping increased 20% tomato production with respect to monoculture.
(b) We achieved efficient micropropagation protocol for A. macrostachyum using shoot explants derived from in vitro-grown seedlings. Superior genotypes were selected from explants grown in high strength and NaCl content medium, which were then rooted and acclimatized to ex vitro conditions. A comprehensive characterization including determination of oxidative stress parameters, photosynthesis efficiency and mineral nutrient contents was done during this process.
Conclusions: This research (1) sheds light into the physiological and biochemical mechanisms underlying tomato/halophyte interaction, (2) provides a solid in vitro platform for the production of elite A. macrostachyum germplasm for ulterior uses, independently on seasonal variations and with prospect of scaling up, and (3) highlights the applicability of halophytes in biosaline agriculture.
| Keywords | Salinity; intercropping; sequential cropping; micropropagation; crop production |
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