![]() Good policy support and capacity building, as well as further investments, are key to develop and put these measures into practice at a larger scale In some regions, a shift from rice production to shrimp cultivation in ponds is being taken up by farmers, as brackish water shrimp tolerates higher salt levels than most rice varieties. In addition to developing new rice varieties, other measures that can be carried out include the implementation of crop rotation systems, soil salinity management using raised seabeds, and changing the date of sowing. Trond3: The development of salt-tolerant rice and crop varieties accessible to smallholder farmers is a potential measure to overcome salinity related problems. They are also expensive, and thus, unavailable to most smallholder farmers." "The salt-tolerant rice varieties developed so far are not good enough to meet the high salinity levels. "As of now, very few seed varieties on the market are able to tolerate the high salt levels that farmers in these regions are experiencing," Dr Nagothu says. ![]() The development of salt-tolerant rice and crop varieties accessible to smallholder farmers is particularly important. He says that more targeted research is needed to address salinity related problems. For many, this has caused damage to their properties, as well as loss of livelihoods and income.ĭr Nagothu has coordinated several research projects looking at future climate change impacts on rice production in South and Southeast Asia. Lately, several farmers in the Mekong and Red River deltas in Vietnam, as well as local authorities, have been reporting increased salinity levels in their soil and irrigation waters. "High levels of salt in agricultural soil or irrigation water make it difficult for salt sensitive rice plants and other crops to absorb water and necessary nutrients, and as a result, plant growth is suppressed and crop yields significantly reduced."Ĭall for more salt-tolerant rice varieties Lately, Vietnamese farmers in the Red River and Mekong deltas have been reporting increased salinity levels in their soil and irrigation waters. "Due to their extensive coastline and many river deltas, countries like Bangladesh and Vietnam are hot spots for climate change impacts such as sea-level rise and salt water intrusion," says Dr Udaya Sekhar Nagothu from the Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, NIBIO. Vietnam also experiences strong storm surges, rising temperatures and variability in the seasonality of rainfall. The situation is similar in Vietnam where coastal areas are already suffering from sea-level rise and saline intrusion. It is also estimated that increased soil salinity, both in coastal and inland areas, may result in a decline in rice yield by 15.6 percent, thus reducing the income of the affected farmers significantly. All these climate related issues play a major role in rendering agriculture in these areas, rice production in particular, increasingly difficult.Īccording to the World Bank, salinity issues in Bangladesh will most likely lead to significant shortages of drinking water and irrigation by 2050.
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