Stage 4: From spring 2006, monitoring and product development

In May 2005, Pronatura started monitoring soil salinity. The first step was to obtain the base line of salinity, textures of the different ground layers and the depth and salinity of the ground-water table.
After obtaining this base line and during the stage of site leaching samples were taken to measure the effectiveness of the leaching and the dynamics of the salt in this type of soil, as well as to be able to make the best decisions for soil treatment.
This monitoring is periodic and basic for the project to be able to establish the influence of the irrigation and the salinity effects in trees and grasses. The monitoring will continue until the end of the project.

Product development. The projects aims at short term income for  the ejido-farmers. The best short term potentials are fodder for animals from the grasses and poles for horticultural purposes. Midterm income is to be expected from wood for charcoal.

Lab tests have already indicated excellent qualities of the Tamarix aphylla for charcoal. Better in fact than the Prosopis species that are usually used for this purpose in this area.

Besides the improvement of the existence level for the ejidatarians, the research data will give information on the potentials of Tamarix aphylla to be used for the production of larger scale biosaline biomass for renewable energy. iable products to make the project sustainable.

Product-development and marketing will be developed before the Ejido takes over the management of the project.