Agroforestry uses of inland salt-affected landscapes.

Abstract

Abstract Salinity-affected landscapes, which now occupy nearly 1 billion ha (about 7% of the world's land area), are of geological or anthropological origin. The latter are principally of recent occurrence and are mainly related to large-scale clearing of natural deep-rooted vegetation and development of irrigated agriculture. Salt-affected soils, classified as alkali/sodic and saline, constrain plant growth owing to the osmotic effects of salt, poor physical conditions leading to poor aeration, nutrition imbalances and toxicities. In addition to the reclamative efforts for agricultural activities, concerted research efforts have shown that by appropriate plantation and other management techniques, these sites can be put to alternative uses, where salt-tolerant trees, forage grasses and other high-value crops can be equally renumerative depending on the degree of salinity and climate. Such uses have additional environmental benefits, including carbon sequestration, seepage control and biological reclamation. Therefore, the opportunities for rehabilitating salt-affected lands through agroforestry interventions and the plausible benefits of such interventions have been highlighted in this review.