1) The document discusses strategies for utilizing salt-affected soils in Pakistan in a practical, productive, and environmentally friendly manner. 2) It describes three types of salt-affected soils in Pakistan and introduces varieties developed to suit each soil type: short-stature wheat for irrigated saline soils, drought-tolerant wheat for saline soils in dry areas, and Durugen wheat to tolerate desert conditions of high salt, heat, and low water. 3) Testing showed these new varieties outperformed standard varieties by yielding more while requiring fewer inputs under harsh soil and climate conditions. Their cultivation could help increase wheat production and improve food security.

1. PRACTICAL, PRODUCTIVE AND
ENVIRONMENT FRIENDLY
UTILIZATION OF SALT AFFECTED
SOILS IN PAKISTAN
By:
Farooq et al; PAEC,
Islamabad, Pakistan

2. The topic of soil salinity is so wide and
diversified that probably every body
sitting in this hall has his/her own salinity
Problems,
Perception,
Solutions and the way of
Utilization
Hence every effort in its own perspective has to be
practical and productive and probably
environment friendly too
INTRODUCTION

3. In Pakistan
• Climatic conditions are arid and semi arid
• Very high temperature in central and Southern
parts
• Frost in central and Northern parts
• Mini. rainfall of 250 mm in 68% of
geographical area
• Maxi. rainfall of 550 mm in 24% of
geographical area
• Monsoon* rain in July and August
• Winter rains** in Northern and Western part
*,** Now scanty and rare, respectively

4. Major Problems
1. Drought: Created by low precipitation,
high heat and evapo-transpiration and
shortage of irrigation water;
2. Salinity: Created by seepage of water
from canals, and rivers and high
evaporation which has affected 6.3 Mha
of land

5. The entire 6.3 Mha of saline soils are divided into
three general types i.e.
i) Saline soils in irrigated areas,
ii) Saline soils in water deficit and /or dry areas, and
iii) Saline soil in desert areas.
Type-i soils possess electrical conductivity (EC) in
the range of 10 to 15 dSm-1
, are found saline sodic
through out root zone, can be easily drained, and
possess good physical qualities. The extent of these
soils is 4.79 Mha of which one Mha is under wheat
cultivation and require salt tolerant wheat genotypes

6. Type-ii soils, that are in water deficit/dry areas, are
also beset with desertification such as those located in
Southern Punjab and some parts of Sind Province.
The average temperature during wheat season in these
areas ranges between 19-32 0
C and average annual rain
fall between 0.19-35mm.
These soils possess EC in the range of 6-10 dS m-1
and
exist as patches. The extent of such soils in Pakistan is
1.5 Mha and can be cultivated with high yielding salt
tolerant genotypes that may also tolerate water
deficiency and high temperature.

7. Type-iii soils, which are present in desert areas are
peculiar to semi arid zones comprising Cholistan,
Thar, and Kharan.
These soils are beset with high rate of evaporation
and strong summer winds. Water is most critical and
limiting factor that prohibits using such areas for
agricultural production.
These soil requires genotypes that can be grown
without much water, can sustain strong winds and
provide green cover to barren lands thereby
protecting it from the wind erosion.

8. The problem however, is that all these soils are not
similar in nature. There are highly significant
differences in
i.Composition, type and quantity of predominant salts
in a particular area,
ii.Climatic conditions, availability and type of
irrigation water and
iii.Co-existence of salinity with desertification.
Hence, it is imperative to tailor plants
specifically suitable to such conditions and
others as well

9. MATERIAL S AND METHODS
Material used in this study
comprised short stature line
(SSt), drought tolerant line
(DTL), and “DURUGEN” which
combines both salt and drought
tolerance.

11. DTL was produced by crossing
WL-1076 with a water
deficiency tolerant accession of
Aegilops geneculata. F1 was
back crossed with recurrent
wheat parent and selfed 6 times
before DTL was tested in the
field for salt tolerance.

13. RUSULTS
SSt was produced for type-i saline soils present in the
districts of Rahim Yar Khan in Southern and Kamalia
in the central Punjab where wheat-cotton rotation is
being practiced. It was sown at the end of January after
picking last lint of cotton. In 90-100 DAS, SSt plants on
the average attained
•18 inches of height,
• produce 24-30 productive tillers, and
• grain yield of about 3000 kg ha-1
instead of 1000
kg ha-1
of commercial cultivar.
Getting this much yield in 100 days compared to 155-160 days of
commercial cultivars was never possible without SSt.

14. Typical SSt plant with short stature and heavy tillersTypical SSt plant with short stature and heavy tillers

15. DTL was developed for type-ii saline soils located in
districts of Bahawalpur, and Rahim Yar Khan in the
southern Punjab and some parts of Sind Province.
These areas have twin problems of salinity and
water deficiency
At Rahim Yar Khan,
genotype on the average possess
• 100 cm long plant height,
• >21 productive tillers plant-1
and
• grain yield of 4000 kg ha-1
which is 10% higher than
the yield obtained from the local check.

16. 16
A typicalA typical
DTLDTL
plantplant
Heavy waxHeavy wax
can be seencan be seen
on theon the
leaves andleaves and
stemsstems

17. DTL is
being
tested under
simulated
field
conditions

18. DTL is being grown in the field

19. DTL is growing at Multan

20. DURUGEN was developed for type-iii
saline soils that are coupled with
desertification, high temperature,
strong winds, and are mostly located
in Thal, Thar, and Kharan,
The conditions there are so harsh that the
inhabitants have largely been migrated to
other places in search of livelihood.

21. Simulated field trials of first generation
“DURUGEN” produced
• 6-26 tillers,
• 4-20 spikes,
• 60-90cm plant height,
• 55-90 grams of plant weight,
• 15-23 grain spike-1
and
• 2.2-6.3 grams grain weight
spike-1
.
The second generation plants when tested using 50% less irrigation
water and salinity of EC 15dS m-1
indicated significantly lower
reduction (10-12%) in biomass and (5-8 %) and in grain yield than
that (37% and 23%, respectively) observed in check varieties grown
under similar conditions.

22. DISCUSSION
It is generally believed that solution
to salinity depends upon:
 Gravity of the situation,
 Resources of the country,
 Priority of the agriculture sectors,
 Environmental conditions, and
 Social acceptance of the approach
in term of economic benefits

23. Gravity of situation in Pakistan
 6.3 Mha of land is affected by salinity
 One of the priorities of agriculture sector is
achieving wheat production target of 26.50 M
tons
 There are about 4.1 million small farmers
watching their land being degraded due to
salinity, drought, and/or water deficiency,
 Water is 35-40% less than it was available
previously,
 Most of the water deficient areas are also beset
with high temperature
Farmers want to see their lands productive with minimum
investment in order to ensure food security to their families

24. Added to this is
•Pakistan’s current population which is over 156 M,
•Current figure of undernourished people which is between 35-40%
•Require more food calories to reduce the number, and hence need
to increase wheat production (major staple cereal) from
23.4 MT to 26.50 MT
which is possible by using saline lands
For example, SSt was developed for saline areas that are canal
irrigated and are used for wheat-cotton rotation. The extent of such
soils in Pakistan is 4.79Mha of which 2.89 Mha became saline due to
irrigation provided by subsurface saline water.
If SSt can be cultivated on only one Mha of this area, it would
produce approximately 3 MT of extra wheat which can increase
consumption of calories by the poor inhabitant of saline lands.

25. DTL is an improved version of low input WL-1076 which possess
proven potential to be cultivated on saline/water deficit areas of
Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, and Multan where farmers can
provide only 2-3 irrigations (instead of at-least 5 given to
commercial cultivars)
In Bahawalpur region, farmers obtained grain yield of 4000 kg ha-1
that was 10% higher than the commercial wheat cultivar that is
input intensive and the resource deficient farmer can not afford to
cultivate this due to shortage of water and inadequate and
expensive fertilizers which are largely imported.

26. Potential of DURUGEN has indicated
that if cultivated in desert areas, the
farmer at-least can get green cover on
the barren lands which can prevent
erosion caused by strong winds
thereby improving the desert
environment.
It can also provide some fodder for the
animals which is enough attraction for re-
habilitating these soil and their owners to