Legume Crops | Salinity and Drought Management

By: Hussain N., G. Sarwar, H. Schmeisky, Salim Al-Rawa

The predicted global climatic changes anticipate rise in temperature, cyclones, floods, variability and unpredictability of rainfall, droughts, and melting of ice. Expected desiccation and rise in temperature will be resulting in high evapo-transpiration. The drier regions of the globe may become further drier. Consequently, it will become highly difficult for water scarce countries to face this challenge. Surface water scarcity will divert pressure on utilization of groundwater, the major part of which is not of safe and usablequality. Hence, soil and water salinity/ sodicty may enhance that will negatively affect soil characteristics (chemical and physical) and consequently reduce growth and yield of crops. Legumes are the most sensitive group in this regard and are expected to affect largely.

Therefore, special management practices must be adopted to cope with the global climatic changes. Suitable hydraulic options (leaching and drainage), appropriate agronomic practices like; leveling, deep plowing, rainfall harvesting, application of organic matter, balanced nutrients, suitable sowing methods, mulching and planting geometry and appropriate irrigation technologies; scheduling, modification of irrigation system (shifting from surface irrigation to drip, sprinkler or sub-surface), cyclic use of good quality and brackish water have to be adopted. The changing situations will also require wise decisions like; selection of crop sequences that can withstand salinity stresses and inclusion of legumes in the crop rotations. Understanding of genetic variability with respect to salt tolerance will be necessary. Starting strong breeding programs to achieve this objective supported with modern approaches; Biotechnology, Mutation and Genetic Engineering will necessarily be desired from right now