Objective
Increasing salinity is more than a threat to agricultural production alone. It contributes to desertification, disrupts socio-economic structures, causes rural exodus. Biosaline agro-forestry applies innovative approaches to salinity, using the qualities o f salt tolerant species combined with improved soil- and water management practices. Research on this subject is by far not complete and the potentials of biosaline agriculture and forestry are insufficiently investigated.
The overall objective of the B IOSAFOR project is twofold:
1. To contribute to the development of biosaline agro-forestry systems for various saline environments (local/regional approach) and parallel to that
2. To explore the potentials and options for biomass production in saline environments (globally)
More specific objectives are:
- To indicate the special role of biosaline agro-forestry for degraded areas with saline soils and/or areas with brackish water resources
- To contribute to the regeneration of saline wastelands
- To select and screen tree species for the production of biomass in specific saline environments
- To develop agro-forestry systems for biomass production in different kind of saline environments
- To assess the economic and environmental performance of selected b iosaline agro-forestry production systems
- To estimate the amount of biomass that can globally be produced in saline environments
- To assess the potential contribution of biomass from saline environments to a sustainable biomass, respectively biofuel and biomaterial supply in DEV countries and the EU
- To disseminate the results to relevant gremia (decision makers, politicians) in the EU and to organizations dealing with salinity globally especially the biosaline networks.
Fields of science
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsrenewable energy
- engineering and technologycivil engineeringwater engineeringirrigation
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringnatural resources managementwater management
- engineering and technologyindustrial biotechnologybiomaterialsbiofuels
- agricultural sciencesagricultural biotechnologybiomass
Call for proposal
FP6-2004-INCO-DEV-3
See other projects for this call
Funding Scheme
STREP - Specific Targeted Research ProjectCoordinator
AMSTERDAM
Netherlands