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Engineered Polymeric and Nano-materials for Taming Salty Soils and Waters Used for Crop Production

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Research Developments in Saline Agriculture

Abstract

World food production systems, mainly cropping systems, are set to deal with exceptional stress for matching agricultural food production demand with the growing population, particularly in the backdrop of climatic changes. The increase in production cannot be attained with the same approaches as were followed in the past. A large extent of less productive lands (including salt-affected soils) in India and the world represent opportunity for boosting sustainable food production via land recovery, enhanced productivity, resource conservation practices, and by enhancing biological functions of soil. The soluble salts present in the water and soil, including groundwater and surface water, pose excessive threat to the productivity of land. Odd practices, such as land clearing and poor irrigation management, have considerably increased the magnitude of the problem. High concentration of salts in the soil is harmful to plants as it restricts uptake of water and nutrients by the plants.

There are several approaches for managing salty lands, including minerals-based reclamation, but these are very expensive. Material science as an emerging field of science may play a significant role for developing efficient reclaimants for managing these salt-affected marginal lands. Nanotechnology, polymer science and microbiology are some of the promising fields to play role in developing smart, efficient material and technology. Although nanotechnology in the areas of environmental and agricultural research and development is at emerging stage, it can be effectively used in understanding and creating improved materials, devices and tools, and in exploiting the nano-properties for managing salty lands and waters. Nanotechnology application in agriculture is an approach that can be used as a tool for detection and treatment of plant diseases, which increases availability of nutrients to plants, thus enhancing soil fertility, health and crop production. The potential of this technology is yet to be exploited in salt-laden lands and water management, and in the agricultural system as a whole. Once recognized, it is expected to bring a major change in agricultural production.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. ICAR-Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana, India

    Ajay K. Bhardwaj, Nisha Sharma & Deepika Rajwar

  2. College of Horticulture, University of Horticultural Sciences, Bagalkot, Karnataka, India

    Ajay K. Bhardwaj, Shankar Meti & Mavinakoppa S. Nagaraja

  3. Soil and Water Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt

    Lamy M. M. Hamed

Authors
  1. Ajay K. Bhardwaj
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  2. Lamy M. M. Hamed
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  3. Nisha Sharma
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  4. Deepika Rajwar
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  5. Shankar Meti
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  6. Mavinakoppa S. Nagaraja
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Correspondence to Ajay K. Bhardwaj .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Natural Resource Management, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Krishi Anusandhan Bhawan-II, Pusa, New Delhi, India

    Jagdish Chander Dagar

  2. ICAR-Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana, India

    Rajender Kumar Yadav

  3. Natural Resource Management, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Krishi Anusandhan Bhawan-II, Pusa, New Delhi, India

    Parbodh Chander Sharma

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Bhardwaj, A.K., Hamed, L.M.M., Sharma, N., Rajwar, D., Meti, S., Nagaraja, M.S. (2019). Engineered Polymeric and Nano-materials for Taming Salty Soils and Waters Used for Crop Production. In: Dagar, J., Yadav, R., Sharma, P. (eds) Research Developments in Saline Agriculture. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-5832-6_13

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