India Unveils Coastal Saline Crop Initiative
by P Sivaramakrishnan (BBC News) A pilot project to see if cash crops can be grown in the salty ground of India’s coastal areas has been launched. The area in Tamil Nadu state will house dozens of species of halophytes – or salt-loving plants – that can be used for producing cash crops.
Halophytes can be used to produce edible oils, medicines, vegetables, and cattle and fish feed.
Halophytes can be found throughout the coastal areas of India. Marine biologists involved in the project say that salt-resistant plants are important for people living in coastal areas, where vast tracts of land have turned saline and unsuitable for any other form of cultivation. READ MORE