Research Institute: Soil Salt Levels in 'Abdali' Reach Alarming Thresholds

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 Environment and Life Sciences and head of the delegation, told KUNA on Wednesday that 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 officially adopt it 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.

Al-Kandari stated that salinization is no longer just a local agricultural problem but has become a “strategic national challenge requiring a coordinated response.” She pointed out that a soil salinity assessment in the Northern Agricultural Area (Abdali) revealed that salt levels in more than 95 of the farms included in the study reached “alarming levels,” putting optimal crop production and food security “at risk,” thereby necessitating the development of a strategy for agricultural land management.

She affirmed that the evidence-based strategic framework represents a “pivotal shift” from limited immediate treatments to a “comprehensive and proactive” approach for assessing and managing agricultural land salinization, thereby improving farm productivity in Kuwait.

For his part, KISR researcher Dhafer Al-Shamari 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 salinity conditions across various agricultural systems in Kuwait for the sake of food security.

He added that the strategy would equip Kuwaiti farmers and national extension services with the appropriate knowledge and skills to help them use their farm resources sustainably by selecting crops tailored to salinity levels.

Regarding the soil salinity assessment process in the Abdali area, Al-Zamil explained that it was conducted after collecting 100 soil samples from a depth of 0 to 30 centimeters from 100 farms, before the samples were analyzed to measure the electrical conductivity of saturated soil paste extracts.

She noted that out of the 100 farms, 98 were affected by salinity at the specified depth in the Abdali agricultural area, with levels ranging from moderate to very high salinity.

Regarding the key observations made prior to drafting the strategic framework, KISR researcher Abdulrahman Al-Anzi told KUNA that in the Abdali agricultural area, surface and sub-surface soil salinization was observed, where semi-saline water was used to irrigate crops.

He clarified that as a result, plants were absent, as “the surface salt crust was clearly visible, in addition to stunted plant growth and a lack of fruit production or fruits smaller than usual in date palms, while plants were found either dead or on the verge of death in salinized patches.”

According to those overseeing the strategy, its implementation ensures the continuity of local food production by adopting a policy of updating irrigation with slightly saline groundwater, mapping soil and water risks, transitioning to salt-tolerant crops, adopting nature-based soil amendments, and integrating Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to monitor salinity in targeted farms.

They emphasized, in this regard, the need to encourage farmers to recycle agricultural waste into organic fertilizers through composting, mulching, and bioremediation, in order to preserve organic carbon in the soil, curb salt accumulation, and enhance beneficial microbial activity in highly arid environments.

The “Arab Innovators and Creators Conference” began yesterday, Monday, to discuss mechanisms for supporting the transition from idea to product, strengthening the innovation and patent environment, and building sustainable Arab cooperation networks, with participation from a delegation of the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research and Kuwait University.

The Omani Authority for Scientific Research and Innovation organized the three-day conference in collaboration with the Omani National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, the Arab Open University, and in coordination with the Arab Organization for Education, Culture and Science (ALECSO), with the attendance of a select group of Arab innovators, experts, specialists, researchers, and entrepreneurs.