The goal of the project is to create an integrated agroforestry plantation in the delta, using brackish drainage water in combination with salt-tolerant grasses and trees. The project aims to raise the living standard of the local community. The research data delivered will enable further developments in this direction. Products range from biomass, poles for horticulture and fodder for animals, to CO2 sequestration. Environmental benefits are envisaged as well.
The general research objective is to investigate how and under what conditions biosaline agro-forestry can contribute to the regeneration of saline wastelands. The delta has a large variability in terms of soils and available water. This offers the opportunity to compare the performance of the main project tree - the Tamarix aphylla - in two very different areas: a 30-ha irrigated agro-forestry pilot and a 3-ha non-irrigated forestry pilot. The irrigation water is provided by the brackish water from the agricultural drain.
Specific project goals include: • collecting information to evaluate the performance of the selected salt-tolerant crops under various agronomic regimes; • developing and implementing a product and marketing program for the trees and grasses produced; • developing the capacity of the Ejido to manage and administer the project on the long term; • developing a prototype that can be replicated in other parts of the delta and elsewhere in areas with similar conditions, and that can help recover salinized soils and restore rural communities and their environment.
