One potential means for addressing
this problemlies in cultivating plant species that are able to tolerate the adverse conditions prevailing in
such situations. A search among halophytic plant species to find suitable fodder replacement for calves
has been successful in identifying a local perennial grass, Panicum turgidum, with biomass yields of about
60,000 kg/ha/year (fresh weight) when grown in saline soil (EC 10–15 mS cm1) irrigated with brackish
water (EC 10–12 mS cm1). When grown with a salt accumulator (Suaeda fruticosa) in adjacent rows and
with frequent irrigation, this system may be sustainable in terms of soil salt balance, with little change in
soil salinity detected. Panicum was used as a complete replacement for maize in a cattle feeding trial and
resulted in equivalent growth and meat production. Implementation of this system should allow saline
land and brackish water to be used for producing an economically beneficial feed crop.