NSP-NSL Joint Seminar on Innovative Technologies of Salt-Affected Soils Restoration and Crop Nutrition for Food Security Organized in Hybrid Modality

Rome, 6 June 2023 – The Divisions of Plant Production and Protection (NSP) and Land and Water (NSL) jointly organized the seminar on “Innovative Technologies of Salt-Affected Soils Restoration and Crop Nutrition for Food Security”. The seminar, which is the first jointly organized seminar between these two divisions, took place in hybrid mode, with more than fifty participants in person and more than one hundred following online. Ronnie Brathwaite, FAO Senior Agricultural Officer, facilitated the event. 

Lifeng Li, Director of the Land and Water Division, opened the session underlining the importance of raising awareness, sharing knowledge and discussing proper practices for managing salt-affected soils and plant nutrients. Director Li urged everybody to work together ensuring sustainable plant production, enhance food security, contributing to a better future for generations to come. 

The seminar hosted a panel of distinguished speakers who shared their expertise and experiences on this important topic. The speakers provided crucial innovative insights on enhancing crop production in salt-affected soils. Shuwen Hu, China Agricultural University, discussed the ecological restoration of salt-affected soils. Professor Hu has developed a technique for rapid desalination and ecological treatment of saline-alkali soil by improving the soil structure. Ahmed El-Naggar, Soil Management Scientist at the International Center of Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA), United Arab Emirates, delivered a presentation on the use of organic biomass soil amendments as a sustainable source of nutrients for agricultural systems and effective nutrient management in salt-affected soils. Mariateresa Cardarelli, a lecturer at the University of Tuscia, with a broad experience in the interactions between biostimulants and plants talked about how biofertilizers and biostimulants can play a sustainable role in boosting crop yield and quality. Carolina OLIVERA SANCHEZ, FAO Senior Consultant on Soil Fertility, provided an update us on the activities of International Network of Salt-Affected Soils (INSAS). 

In his closing remarks, Jingyuan Xia, Director of the Plant Production and Protection Division highlighted the historic collaboration between the two divisions. Director Xia underlined how this seminar is as an excellent example of FAO's dedication to promoting technical synergy and fostering cooperative efforts to enhance agricultural productivity. He also appreciated the high-quality presentations from the panellists, which proposed innovative and science-based solutions to tackle salt-affected soils in a sustainable manner, promoting food security and more efficient agrifood systems.