www.cropsfordrylands.com Alternative Crops for Drylands: Proactively Adapting to Climate Change and Water Shortages is a new book that delves into the earth’s smorgasbord of underappreciated edible plants native to the often waterless corners of the world. Research and development should be poured into these plants now, before climate change contributes further to the worldwide spread…;
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www.cropsfordrylands.com Alternative Crops for Drylands: Proactively Adapting to Climate Change and Water Shortages is a new book that delves into the earth’s smorgasbord of underappreciated edible plants native to the often waterless corners of the world. Research and development should be poured into these plants now, before climate change contributes further to the worldwide spread of deserts. The growing global water crisis has contributed to the depletion of ancient water reserves known as aquifers, dried up rivers and lakes, and to 1.1 billion people not having access to safe drinking water. Worldwide, irrigation accounts for about 70% of freshwater usage. In order to drastically reduce water consumption, the global food supply will need to become much more waterwise. Improved cultivation techniques and technologies are central to this end. Yet, the development of new crop species taken from the wild is equally as important. Certain wild plants such as the South African Marula tree, for example, may yield multiple tons of a nut crop and fruit crop from the same tree in a single year, while requiring no irrigation. The purpose of Alternative Crops for Drylands is to provide a botanical arsenal for combating deforestation & desertification, healing parched landscapes, and simultaneously creating fecund, edible oases in place of today’s degraded landscapes. As such, the book highlights about 70 useful plant species, and discusses their cultural & climatic requirements, native habitats, uses, nutrition, and even propagation requirements. At 324 pages in length, Alternative Crops for Drylands is a unique and useful reference book presented with over 80 full color photographs illustrating the book’s featured plants. The book is technical enough to interest professionals, yet is not too complex for the amateur grower. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dmrrcbNSxo