Potential of Brackish Groundwater for Different Biosaline Agriculture Systems in the Brazilian Semi-Arid Region

Carla Ingryd Nojosa Lessa, Claudivan Feitosa de Lacerda (), Cláudio Cesar de Aguiar Cajazeiras, Antonia Leila Rocha Neves, Fernando Bezerra Lopes, Alexsandro Oliveira da Silva, Henderson Castelo Sousa, Hans Raj Gheyi, Rafaela da Silva Nogueira, Silvio Carlos Ribeiro Vieira Lima, Raimundo Nonato Távora Costa and Geocleber Gomes de Sousa
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Carla Ingryd Nojosa Lessa: Agricultural Engineering Department, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza 60455-760, Brazil
Claudivan Feitosa de Lacerda: Agricultural Engineering Department, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza 60455-760, Brazil
Cláudio Cesar de Aguiar Cajazeiras: Geological Survey of Brazil-CPRM, Fortaleza 60135-101, Brazil
Antonia Leila Rocha Neves: Agricultural Engineering Department, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza 60455-760, Brazil
Fernando Bezerra Lopes: Agricultural Engineering Department, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza 60455-760, Brazil
Alexsandro Oliveira da Silva: Agricultural Engineering Department, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza 60455-760, Brazil
Henderson Castelo Sousa: Agricultural Engineering Department, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza 60455-760, Brazil
Hans Raj Gheyi: Academic Unit of Agricultural Engineering, Federal University of Campina Grande, Campina Grande 58840-000, Brazil
Rafaela da Silva Nogueira: Institute of Rural Development, University of International Integration of Afro-Brazilian Lusofonia, Redenção 62790-000, Brazil
Silvio Carlos Ribeiro Vieira Lima: Secretariat of Economic Development and Labor of the State of Ceará, Fortaleza 60160-230, Brazil
Raimundo Nonato Távora Costa: Agricultural Engineering Department, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza 60455-760, Brazil
Geocleber Gomes de Sousa: Institute of Rural Development, University of International Integration of Afro-Brazilian Lusofonia, Redenção 62790-000, Brazil

Agriculture, 2023, vol. 13, issue 3, 1-22

Abstract: The objective of this research was to define the potential of brackish groundwater for 15 systems of biosaline agriculture in a representative area of the Brazilian semi-arid region. The study was conducted using a database of the State of Ceará, with 6284 wells having brackish water (EC ≥ 0.8 dS m −1 and discharge rate ≥ 0.5 m 3 h −1 ). Our results show that the potential of brackish groundwater resources depends on the set of data: (i) production system (crop salt tolerance and water demand) and (ii) water source (salinity and well discharge rate). The joint analysis of these data shows that plant production systems with lesser water requirements, even with moderate tolerance levels to salt stress, present better results than more tolerant species, including halophytes and coconut orchards. About 41, 43, 58, 69, and 82% of wells have enough discharge rates to irrigate forage cactus (1.0 ha), sorghum (1.0 ha with supplemental irrigation), hydroponic cultivation, cashew seedlings, and coconut seedlings, respectively, without restrictions in terms of salinity. Otherwise, 65.8 and 71.2% of wells do not have enough water yield to irrigate an area of 1.0 ha with halophytes and coconut palm trees, respectively, butmore than 98.3 and 90.7% do not reach the water salinity threshold for these crops. Our study also indicates the need for diversification and use of multiple systems on farms (intercropping, association of fish/shrimp with plants), to reach the sustainability of biosaline agriculture in tropical drylands, especially for family farming.

Keywords: drylands; aquifers; salinity; biosalinity; sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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