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Seawater-Based Agriculture as a Food Production Defense Against Climate Variability

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Food-Climate Interactions

Abstract

A limiting factor for food production in the sunny, productive regions of the world is the scarcity of fresh water. Also, many irrigated soils are becoming saline. This paper reviews the use of seawater to increase agricultural production and reduce climate vulnerability by adapting conventional crops to salt tolerance, by using seawater for environmental control, by culturing aquatic animals, and, in the work described in detail, by domesticating wild halophytes—plants which have evolved in hypersaline conditions—for livestock feed. Halophytes irrigated exclusively with seawater equalled or surpassed alfalfa in yield and protein, excess salts were removed by leaching, and initial animal trials were promising.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Research Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA

    C. N. Hodges, M. R. Fontes, E. P. Glenn, S. Katzen & L. B. Colvin

Authors
  1. C. N. Hodges
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  2. M. R. Fontes
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  3. E. P. Glenn
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  4. S. Katzen
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  5. L. B. Colvin
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Applied Climatology and Environmental Studies, University of MĂĽnster, Germany

    Wilfrid Bach

  2. Federal Environmental Agency, Berlin, Germany

    JĂĽrgen Pankrath

  3. National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, USA

    Stephen H. Schneider

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© 1981 D. Reidel Publishing Company, Dordrecht, Holland

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Hodges, C.N., Fontes, M.R., Glenn, E.P., Katzen, S., Colvin, L.B. (1981). Seawater-Based Agriculture as a Food Production Defense Against Climate Variability. In: Bach, W., Pankrath, J., Schneider, S.H. (eds) Food-Climate Interactions. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-8563-6_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-8563-6_5

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-90-277-1354-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-009-8563-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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