Some plants, such as saltbush, Prickle weed, and saltwort, can tolerate some salt and are called saltwater plants. Agricultural experts believe that since they can be easily cultivated in arid regions with seawater, the total food production of the world can be increased.
Some saltwater plants can also be consumed as food. There are 2000 square miles of deserts along the world's coasts, and saltwater plants can be cultivated very easily in these areas.
Since saltwater is available in sufficient quantities,
saltwater plants can be cultivated even on barren lands covering 2
to 3 million square miles in various countries. This gives people living in
water-scarce areas the opportunity to get some food at a low cost.
Environmentalists have studied 75 species of saltwater plants
from around the world that can provide essential nutrients to humans, and of
these, only 14 are considered useful to humans. Of these 14 saltwater plants,
only 2 are cereal crops that can be directly consumed by humans.
The rest are crops that can also be used as animal feed. Many
countries have established experimental farms to grow saltwater plants, and
have seen considerable success.
These experiments have shown that some saltwater plants
thrive well in high temperatures, saltwater, and light conditions and that
they grow just as well as conventional crops grown in normal conditions.
Studies have also shown that they are rich in protein, like wheat.
It has been found that saltwater plants grow well when mixed
with other feedstuffs and fed to cattle, sheep, and chickens. Delicious bread
can be baked with grains obtained from saltwater plants. It is also
believed that in the future, people living in arid regions and those without
will prefer saltwater plants.