Empirical Values of Halophytes in Agro-ecology and Sustainability

Abstract

Salinity is an increasingly urgent problem causing tremendous yield losses on a global scale. The problem is a marked imperative in arid and semiarid regions. To maximize crop productivity, and alleviate environmental stress, these areas require either reduction of salinity or the use of salt-tolerant crops. Halophytes are plants capable of normal growth in saline habitats and are able to thrive on “ordinary” soil, though these plants have a capacity to tolerate concentrations over 0.5% throughout their life cycle. As a consequence of rapid climate change, the proportion of saline areas is increasing daily, providing motivations for development of salt-tolerant crops to cope with the adverse conditions and contribute to long-term sustainability goals. Research efforts are directed toward studying phytoremediation of saline environments in order to efficiently ameliorate salts from both soil and water. Challenges of attaining sustainable environments need to be addressed through mitigating global climate change while enabling a cooperatively sustained food industry. Many features of halophytes are highlighted in this chapter, easing the improvement of salt tolerance in crops in the future. Genetic and physiological screening of halophytes facilitates the contribution of halophytes with respect to long-term environmental sustainability.