Agronomy of Halophytes as Constructive Use of Saline Systems Item Type text; Electronic Dissertation Authors Bresdin, Cylphine Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 07/10/2021 03:23:03 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/577318 AGRONOMY OF HALOPHYTES AS CONSTRUCTIVE USE OF SALINE SYSTEMS by Cylphine Bresdin A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the department of SOIL, WATER AND ENVIRONMENTAL ScIENCES In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY WITH A MAJOR IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE In the Graduate College ThE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 2015 1 THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA GRADUATE COLLEGE As members of the Dissertation Committee, we certify that we have read the dissertation prepared by Cylphine Bresdin, titled Agronomy of Halophytes as Constructive Use of Saline Systems and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation requirement for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. _____________________________________________________ Date: 7/29/2015 Edward Glenn _____________________________________________________ Date: 7/29/2015 Janick Artiola _____________________________________________________ Date: 7/29/2015 Kevin Fitzsimmons _____________________________________________________ Date: 7/29/2015 Margaret Livingston Final approval and acceptance of this dissertation is contingent upon the candidate’s submission of the final copies of the dissertation to the Graduate College. I hereby certify that I have read this dissertation prepared under my direction and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation requirement. _____________________________________________________ Date: 7/29/2015 Dissertation Director: Edward Glenn 2 STATEMENT BY AUTHOR This dissertation has been submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for an advanced degree at the University of Arizona and is deposited in the University Library to be made available to borrowers under rules of the Library. Brief quotations from this dissertation are allowable without special permission, provided that accurate acknowledgement of source is made. Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the head of the major department or the Dean of the Graduate College when in his or her judgment the proposed use of the material is in the interests of scholarship. In all instances, however, permission must be obtained from the author. SIGNED: CYLPHINE BRESDIN 3 TabLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRacT............................................................................................7 INTRODUCTION...............................................................................9 I. PROBLEM AND CONTEXT ...............................................................9 II. REview o F Literature ..............................................................10 III. EXPLANATION OF DISSERTATION ............................................12 PRESENT STUDY..............................................................................15 REFERENCES.....................................................................................18 APPENDIX A: SALICORNIA BIGELOVII..............................22 ABSTRacT ...........................................................................................22 I. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................23 II. MaTERIALS AND METHODS ........................................................24 II.A. Relevant Biology of Salicornia bigelovii ..............................................24 II.B. Source of w ild Accessions ...............................................................25 II.C. Experimental Design ......................................................................25 II.D. Greenhouse Procedures and Crop observations ...............................26 II.E. Harvest and Processing ...................................................................27 II.F. Seed Purity and Proximate Analysis .................................................27 II.G. Environmental Measurements ........................................................28 II.H. Statistical Methods ........................................................................29 III. Results ..........................................................................................29 III.A. Survival and Growth .....................................................................29 4 TabLE OF CONTENTS - Continued III.B. Temperature Effects .......................................................................31 III.C. oil Content ...................................................................................31 Iv. DISCUSSION ..................................................................................32 v. CONCLUSION .................................................................................33 v. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................................................34 vI. REFERENCES .................................................................................35 vII. Supplemental Material ..................................................37 APPENDIX B: DISTICHLIS PALMERI....................................45 ABSTRacT ...........................................................................................45 I. INTRODUCTION ..............................................................................46 II. MaTERIALS AND METHODS ........................................................50 III. Results .........................................................................................51 Iv. DISCUSSION ...................................................................................53 v. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ..................................................................55 v. REFERENCES....................................................................................56 vI. SUPPLEMENTAL MaTERIAL .......................................................58 APPENDIX C: DESIGN CONCEPT .........................................64 ABSTRacT ...........................................................................................64 I. INTRODUCTION ..............................................................................65 II. METHODS / APPROach ................................................................66 III. RESULTS / DESIGN ........................................................................69 5 TabLE OF CONTENTS - Continued III.A. Concept .....................................................................................70 III.B. Calculations ...............................................................................71 III.C. Design .......................................................................................73 Iv. DISCUSSION ..................................................................................76 v. CONCLUSION .................................................................................78 Iv. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ..............................................................79 VI. REFERENCES .................................................................................80 vII. SUPPLEMENTAL MaTERIAL .....................................................82 6 ABSTRacT Extensive coastal sabkhas in the northern Gulf of California in north America are colonized by Distichlis palmeri, an endemic perennial grass that produces a grain that was harvested as a staple food by native Cocopah people. Previous short-term trials have shown good vegetative growth but low grain yields. During outdoor trials under anaerobic saline soil conditions of paddy-style irrigation, D. palmeri exhibited high salt tolerance, grain and biomass production. Reproductive maturity was reached four years after initial establishment of plants from seed and a 1:3 mixture of male and female plants produced 231-310 g m-2 of grain, with nutritional content similar to domesticated grains, confirming the feasibility of developing D. palmeri as a perennial grain and biomass crop for salinized soils and water supplies. Salicornia bigelovii Torr., a cosmopolitan annual coastal marsh succulent, produces seed with high oil content and has been suggested as a potential cash crop for fuel production from saline irrigation but its domestication and development into a cost effective commodity has been slow. A breeding and selection program for agronomic traits that will provide multiple landscape and ecosystem services that could enhance cost benefits of the agronomy of S. bigelovii was initiated during a two year period while producing seed for a pilot system at the Masdar Institute in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. A concept for a saline landscape designed to consume and concentrate saline waste streams was developed and demonstrates the feasibility and potential to support agronomy of halophytes within a built landscape 7 ecology akin to coastal marsh systems. Exploration and development of potential services halophytes could provide and field testing of selected halophytes for their potential to produce food, fuel, fiber and habitat under designed and managed domestication in our salinized soils with saline waste irrigation needs our continued investigation. 8 INTRODUCTION I. PRoblem