Soil conditions worldwide are increasingly on the salty side. More than 50% of all arable land is estimated to be highly salinized by 2050. Though the reasons for soil salinization are varied, growers aren’t without recourse. We discuss the rising threat from high soil salinity and how Acadian Kelp™ seaweed crop inputs can help growers worldwide with their salinity stress management.
How Global Soil Salinization Is Getting Worse
Higher soil salinization is a result of a perfect storm of events. Drought, commercial fertilizers, rising sea levels and other factors are making once arable land inhospitable to growers all over the world. Here are some of the reasons why:
- Rising sea levels can infiltrate the groundwater table, decreasing the availability of fresh water to coastal growers. Additionally, the increased proximity to salt water heightens the salinity of subsoil, making it difficult for roots to absorb water. These spikes in soil salinity can put a squeeze on yields for everyone from Florida orange growers to Bangladeshi rice paddy farmers.
- Though commercial fertilizers have amplified harvestable yields over the years, they’ve also weakened the arability of soil. Nitrogen-rich commercial fertilizers often leave a residue of salt in their wake as water evaporates, causing greater salinity to accumulate over time. When these nitrogen fertilizers are used growing season after growing season, the soil eventually becomes hostile to many crops.
- Drought conditions don’t foster healthy soil conditions either. When there is less fresh water available to replenish rivers, streams, tributaries, and ground water supplies, salt water can make its entrance. In a limited amount of time, crops can fail and growers’ livelihood can plummet.
How Seaweed Crop Inputs Can Combat High Salinity
Fortunately, site-specific management techniques can reclaim soil that’s become oversaturated with salts. Growing salt tolerant perennial grasses, alfalfa or cover crops have helped to recover salinized soil over five to ten year periods. What if you can’t wait for salinity stress management to reclaim 100% of the soil? The right seaweed extracts can bridge the gap until soil conditions are optimal again.
Our seaweed soil amendment provides plants growing in a wide variety of soil types with essential nutrients and organic compounds necessary to enhance their growing conditions. The Ascophyllum nodosum found in our Acadian Kelp™ products create a foundation for healthy and stress-resistant plants that are better equipped to endure high-salinity conditions and maintain overall yields.
Though salinity stress management is likely to become more challenging for growers over the next few decades, there are ways to maintain your yields as you take action to reclaim your soil. Why should the salt of the earth deprive you of reliable and worthwhile yields?
Are you looking to maximize the efficiency of your salinity stress management? Request a sample of our products.
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