While everybody is focusing on fresh water and non-saline soils for agricultural production, Salt Farm Texel has a totally different perspective. We are using the saline resources of the world directly by cultivating salt tolerant crops. Salt Farm Texel has set up an open-air laboratory for research and development and the results can be used directly under actual field conditions. This has been validated and implemented in Pakistan with salt tolerant potatoes. More info at www.saltfarmtexel.com
How does your innovation work?
The best potato varieties identified by Salt Farm Texel are used for cultivation in the salt affected areas in Pakistan. After the first year, the project has produced 16 tons of salt tolerant potatoes on salt affected soils and saved nearly 10.3 million liters of fresh water. The yields in Pakistan were consistent with the expected yields based on the research in Holland, so the results were validated under actual field conditions. But the successful cultivation of a salt tolerant potato is more than just the variety itself. Although the selection of a salt tolerant variety is the starting point, research at the facility of Salt Farm Texel also focuses on soil tillage, soil fertility, fertilizers for saline conditions, monitoring and management of soil salinity and irrigation and drainage. All the aspects can further increase the yield under saline conditions and are part of the overall saline cultivation strategy. In the next season the focus will be on increasing the area of cultivation.