What Are the Prospects for Salicornia Cultivation in 2020? Included: High-Yield Cultivation Techniques

Salicornia has long enjoyed the reputation of “sea ginseng” and “plant seafood.” Its color is like jade, its shape resembles coral, its texture is crisp and tender, and it has a uniquely fresh seafood flavor. So what are the prospects for Salicornia cultivation in 2020? What are its high-yield cultivation techniques?

1. Prospects for Salicornia Cultivation in 2020

1. Nutritional Value

Salicornia is rich in nutrients, containing abundant protein, amino acids, β-carotene, dietary fiber, as well as marine minerals such as sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, iodine, selenium and strontium, trace elements, and bioactive substances such as alkaloids. Its calcium content is 5 times that of milk and 3 times that of oysters; its carotene content is dozens of times that of traditional vegetables. Salicornia is not only a distinctive marine vegetable but also a medicinal plant with healthcare value. According to literature reports, Salicornia has many therapeutic effects, including treating obesity, high blood pressure, constipation, diabetes, arthritis, septicemia and cancer.

2. Market Demand

In recent years, as understanding of Salicornia's nutritional value has deepened, a trend of eating Salicornia has swept across Europe and America, and is gradually spreading to other countries and regions around the world. Because Salicornia is irrigated with seawater and produced without chemical fertilizers and pesticides, it meets the requirements for organic vegetable production, and it is a non-GMO vegetable domesticated from wild halophytes, making it a safe vegetable with a fully ecological concept. Due to its extremely high nutritional value and social ecological value, Salicornia has become a supreme delicacy in the eyes of gourmets and a new aristocrat among vegetables, with demand exceeding supply.

3. Low Cultivation Cost

Because the nutrients Salicornia needs for growth can be supplemented from the wastewater of marine aquaculture ponds, using the wastewater produced by tidal flat marine aquaculture to irrigate Salicornia not only reduces fertilizer use and lowers cultivation costs, but also effectively solves the problem of seawater pollution caused by large-scale marine aquaculture in coastal areas, forming a virtuous cycle. In the Beijing market, Salicornia can sell for more than 100 yuan per jin. For farmers growing this vegetable, the average annual income per greenhouse is 200,000-300,000 yuan, and the greenhouse cost can be recovered in a year and a half.

2. High-Yield Cultivation Techniques for Salicornia

1. Land Preparation and Fertilization

Salicornia grows best in soil with a salinity of 1.5%-3.0%, and has low requirements for soil texture; sandy soil, clay soil and sandy loam are all acceptable. Before planting, compacted saline-alkali land must first be plowed to make the soil loose and aerated. Depending on the soil conditions, two types of planting are used: sunny bed planting and shady bed planting. For plots that have been improved, have good drainage and fertile soil, the shady bed planting method is used, with a bed width of 1-1.5 m and a ridge width of 0.5-1 m, which facilitates harvesting and the installation of irrigation facilities; for saline-alkali land that has not been improved, because the soil is compacted and prone to waterlogging, the sunny bed planting method is used.

2. Sowing

Sowing is generally done in spring. The suitable temperature for seed germination is about 15°C. Select plump, dry seeds free of pests and diseases, and sun-dry them for 1-2 d before use. Before sowing, mix the seeds with fine sand at a weight ratio of 1:5. They can be broadcast evenly or sown in drills, with a seeding rate of about 2 kg per 667 sq m. After sowing, cover with about 0.5 cm of soil.

3. Field Management

(1) Fertilizer and Water Management

Seawater or underground brine is used as the irrigation water source, with the seawater salinity kept at 2.5%-3.0%. If the salinity is too high, freshwater should be added to dilute it. Because saline-alkali land becomes compacted when short of water, and Salicornia has a relatively high water requirement during growth, micro-sprinkler tape is generally used for irrigation in production to save costs.

During the period from sowing to 1 week before emergence, sprinkle-irrigate once each in the morning and afternoon, just enough to keep the soil moist. After the seedlings emerge, the number of irrigations can be appropriately reduced, and throughout the growing period the number of irrigations can be adjusted according to soil moisture. Because Salicornia's vigorous growth period is in summer, when there is relatively more rain, timely drainage is needed.

Salicornia has a relatively low fertilizer requirement, generally about 200 kg of organic fertilizer per 667 sq m. Fertilization follows the principle of mainly base fertilizer supplemented by topdressing. To reduce waste, when applying base fertilizer, the trenching method is used, with a trench depth of about 20 cm; the fertilizer is scattered into the opened trenches and applied evenly.

After fertilizing, rake the soil level. When Salicornia has grown for 45 d, it can reach 15 cm, and one topdressing of organic fertilizer can be applied. Using the broadcast method, apply about 30 kg of organic fertilizer per 667 sq m as topdressing. After topdressing, sprinkle-irrigate promptly to let the fertilizer penetrate into the soil.

(2) Thinning and Replanting

After the seedlings emerge, in order to give Salicornia enough growing space and prevent excessive density that causes spindly overgrowth of branches and leaves, Salicornia needs to be thinned; in addition, to make full use of land resources, Salicornia needs to be replanted to fill gaps.

(3) Loosening Soil and Weeding

For severely compacted saline-alkali land, hoeing should be done frequently to keep the soil loose; in addition, for loose, fertile soil, weeding should be done frequently to prevent weeds from competing with Salicornia for nutrients.

4. Harvesting

After Salicornia has grown for 70 d, the plant height can reach 30 cm. At this point, picking fresh shoots can be used to promote the growth of Salicornia. When picking, snap off the tender tips of the fleshy stems of Salicornia from the nodes, with a picked length of 6-10 cm. After the tender tips are snapped off, Salicornia will continuously produce new branches from the nodes, and farmers can harvest continuously from August to October.

Although seawater vegetables can make full use of land value and reduce cultivation costs, the editor suggests that farmer friends should still treat their pros and cons objectively and avoid blind investment to prevent losses.