KISR presents innovative strategy for managing soil salinity in agriculture at Muscat conference

A delegation from the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) reviewed its innovative strategic framework for managing soil salinity in agricultural lands, aimed at supporting food security, during its participation in the “Arab Innovators and Creators Conference” in the Omani capital, Muscat.

Dr. Amal Al-Kandari, a participating research scientist at the Institute’s Center for Environmental and Life Sciences Research and head of the delegation, said she and other members of the Center’s Food Security Program participated in the conference proceedings to highlight the challenge of soil salinity, which plagues most Gulf countries.

She added that she and the architects of the strategy, titled “Kuwait’s Innovative Strategy for Managing Soil Salinity in Agricultural Lands to Support Food Security,” are continuing their efforts to secure its official adoption before rolling it out across the region, emphasizing their commitment to finding permanent solutions to what she termed the “silent crisis.”

In this regard, she noted that healthy soil and good-quality water form the “cornerstone” of agricultural production and food security, pointing out the threat posed by “soil salinization” amid increasing climate variability, growing pressure on freshwater resources, and rising evaporation rates.

For his part, KISR researcher Dhafer Al-Shammari told KUNA that the prepared strategy offers a comprehensive “roadmap” for multiple stakeholders, including researchers, extension service providers, farmers, and policymakers, to build collective consensus that enhances the productivity of irrigated farms under saline conditions across Kuwait’s various agricultural systems, in pursuit of food security.

For her part, KISR researcher Shikha Al-Zamil told KUNA that key objectives of the strategy include the optimal use and efficient management of soil and groundwater resources by adopting integrated (physical, chemical, hydrological, and biological) approaches to reclaim salt-affected farms, alongside preparing the groundwork for decision-makers and extension services.

Regarding the process of assessing soil salinity in the root zone, Al-Zamil explained that it was carried out after 100 soil samples were collected from a depth of 0 to 30 centimeters from 100 farms, and the samples were then analyzed to measure the electrical conductivity of saturated soil paste extracts.