A CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT AGRICULTURE PLATFORM FOR CULTIVATION OF SALT-TOLERANT CROPS WITH INTEGRATED SALINE WATER IRRIGATION AND SALINITY MANAGEMENT

Our overall goal is to develop an integrated hydroponics CEA platform for cultivation of salt-tolerant food crops using saline irrigation water by enhancing crop salt tolerance, developing new concepts in agricultural-sector desalting technologies, and optimizing salinity management. Specific objectives of this multi- disciplinary, state, and institutional coordinated agricultural project (CAP) are as follows:Research:(1) Pre-breeding and physiological phenotyping for salt acclimation in mustard greens, cucumber, and tomato through germplasm screening, genome-wide association studies (GWAS), and marker development;(2) Desalting technologies and salinity management processes;(3) Hydroponic CEA platform evaluation of salt-tolerant mustard greens, cucumber, and tomato varieties using treated and/or blended saline waters; (4) Techno-economic analysis (TEA) and life cycle assessment (LCA);Education:(5) Develop and deliver an effective education program to foster general and technical awareness of sustainable saline agriculture; andExtension:(6) Stakeholder outreach - training and technology transfer of sustainable saline agriculture.