Abstracts: National Seminar on Agriculture and Environment: Opportunities and Challenges

Abstract

• Data base on salt affected soils and poor quality waters in the country needs to be updated on priority taking the help of modern tools such as GIS, remote sensing and GPS based surveys. Policy decision is required on this issue to enhance allocation of funds and infrastructural support to delineate the areas affected by salinity/ alkalinity for developing appropriate technologies for their reclamation. • Research on low-cost amendments (alternatives to gypsum) for alkaline /vertisol soils should be expedited and new generation problems related to soil fertility, salinity should be diagnosed and effective remedial measures should be explored. • New refinements in research technologies related to sub-surface drainage and integrated approach involving fast-growing plantation based technologies (biodrainage) should be investigated both for inland and coastal conditions. • Second generation problems of resodification as well as decline in productivity from the reclaimed alkali soils needs to be addressed on priority. Research on laser land levelling, zero tillage planting or turbo seeding needs to be accelerated in different crop rotations. • Research efforts should be advanced on management of dry-land salinity and coastal salinity in the scenario of climate change. • More research efforts are needed to develop multiple stress tolerance cultivars with the help of genetic engineering and use of salt tolerant genes. Priority may be given on identification and selection of potential halophytic crops for domestication in highly saline and waterlogged areas. • Application of new research tools such as nano-technology and use of microbiology in reclamation of salty soils, micro irrigation, smart agriculture technologies etc. for increasing productivity, improving crops and phytoremediation processes must get priority. • During reclamation of alkali soils, addition of salt tolerant bacteria in the form of a commercial culture ‘CSR Bio’ to the soil enhances performance of banana and some other crops also. Policy support in the form of appropriate subsidy etc. could help reclaim large areas through these horticultural interventions, in the form of a tie-up with developmental schemes like National Horticulture Mission. • New integrated farming systems involving agroforestry technologies must be developed for increasing farm productivity in salty waterlogged areas. Several land shaping technologies have been developed, in inland alkaline waterlogged as well as coastal saline waterlogged conditions to reduce salinity build-up. Policy decisions needs to be undertaken to provide appropriate subsidy for implementing these land shaping technologies to the resource poor farming communities of the region. • Decision support systems needs to be developed to enhance productivity of salt affected areas, both under inland and coastal conditions. • Research efforts may also be made on value addition and quality of produce under saline agriculture and other stress conditions. • Social, economic, policy and political dimensions related to saline agriculture may be explored in recent scenarios.