Hydroponics cultivation of Salicornia

Abstract

There are problems that are faced by humans currently. Some of the problems faced are arable land scarcity, sea-level rise, freshwater shortage and soil salinization. These four problems are interlinked and would result in detrimental impacts on the food supply in the future if the problems continues to escalate. One of the solution that can be investigated is the plausibility of using halophytes, plants which are salt tolerant and at the same time it is able to tap on the plentiful supply of resources that are not commonly used such as seawater and saline land. Besides being a possible solution to the problems, some of these halophytes have economic value. Hence, such halophytes are gaining attention of scientist and researchers. One such halophyte is Salicornia.

Currently, studies have been made to explore some of these halophytes plants and it is now known to have many uses. However, it is still a relatively new area of research in the world. This report would cover the causes that lead to the problems and also how halophyte plants are of great value to be studied extensively, focusing on a specific plant, Salicornia bigelovii. Besides the literature reviews, it would also cover an exploratory study of the hydroponics cultivation of Salicornia bigelovii in Singapore. The study proves that the cultivation of Salicornia bigelovii is achievable in the tropical climate here.