Salinated soils, the loss of farmland and the increasing global demand for fresh water create major challenges for agricultural producers. How to meet the demand for ecologically and sustainably produced goods? The EU project AQUACOMBINE demonstrates a combination of aquaculture, agriculture and organic processing. The participating research teams are also working on the desalination of affected areas and the different uses of all parts of the halophytes: Those resistant plants that grow without fresh water and that are able to store salt in their biomass, thus reducing soil salinity. Prof. Dr. Jutta Papenbrock has been working on halophytes, their cultivation and the analysis of their physiology for 20 years. Her research group at the Institute of Botany is part of the project consortium.
Unexpected chances
The latest research shows that the variability within the genus Salicornia is wider than assumed. This means that both the aspects to be studied and the possible uses of the plant are growing. "I think it will be important to develop a variety of different Salicornia cultivars through modern breeding approaches," Ms Papenbrock concludes after presenting the interim results of her research group. Together with her team, the professor studies cultivation patterns of halophytes to identify the conditions that produce as much biomass as possible and at the same time achieve an optimal composition for the respective use. According to her, AQUACOMBINE will answer the question of how to use halophytes as an agricultural crop - from sowing to the end product without any waste.
