Saltwater will feed people in the future

Planting in salt water will become a necessary solution in the effort to cope with the scarcity of food and fresh water on the planet.

Samphire grass grows on the coast and is used as a vegetable for thousands of years.Photos: onesite.com.

Fresh water only accounts for 1% of the water on the planet and most are used for drinking. Around the world, agricultural productivity in many regions is decreasing as the amount of salt in the water and the soil keeps increasing.

'Saline intrusion is an irreversible process. Sooner or later, humans will have to accept the fact that salt on the planet is increasing, ' said Professor Jelte Rozema of the Department of Ecology, Amsterdam University (Netherlands).

Scientists say we will have to make use of salty lands and waters to grow food in the future. The salinity of agricultural land follows the rise of sea water, but the plants that survive in saline environments are also a significant source of food.

In the future, farmers can plant trees in brackish water areas or near estuaries - where saltwater and freshwater meet. The cost to bring fresh water into fields is increasing and that situation may force farmers to choose salt water someday.

Many agricultural experts believe that the best way is to domesticate wild plants that are saline and cross-bred so that they are more productive. 'Salt tolerance of wild plants has not decreased during domestication,' said Professor Rozema.

Some plants, such as kale and seaweed, have been used by humans as food for thousands of years. But it was not until recently that scientists considered them as an alternative to traditional vegetables.

In the Netherlands, many farms are growing large-scale broccoli and millions of people have bought them to make green vegetables during meals. Plant breeders also need to pay attention to traditional but salt-tolerant plants, such as sugar beets. Over the past 30 years, scientists have also conducted many tests to increase salinity tolerance for cereals such as rice, corn, and beans.