Panicum turgidum, a potentially sustainable cattle feed alternative to maize for saline areas

Salinity of soil and water has been a major impediment to plant growth and crop production worldwide, and a viable solution is not forthcoming, at least in the near future. One potential means for addressing this problem lies in cultivating plant species that are able to tolerate the adverse conditions prevailing in such situations. A search among halophytic plant species to find suitable fodder replacement for calves has been successful in identifying a local perennial grass, Panicum turgidum, with biomass yields of about 60,000 kg/ha/year (fresh weight) when grown in saline soil (EC 10–15 mS cm−1) irrigated with brackish water (EC 10–12 mS cm−1). When grown with a salt accumulator (Suaeda fruticosa) in adjacent rows and with frequent irrigation, this system may be sustainable in terms of soil salt balance, with little change in soil salinity detected. Panicum was used as a complete replacement for maize in a cattle feeding trial and resulted in equivalent growth and meat production. Implementation of this system should allow saline land and brackish water to be used for producing an economically beneficial feed crop.