With population levels around the world rising to unmanageable levels, providing drinking water is an issue that has perplexed most countries. With crops too requiring fresh water, the time has now arrived to look at the possibility of using slightly saline water for irrigation purposes. The effects on fruit extract using saline water are quite negligible and it is possible to use saline water for growing fruit trees in the future.
Most fruit trees are quite hardy and can survive severe summers, winters, frost and can also resist infestation by pests including flies. However, as fresh water sources around the world start to dwindle, there have been several experiments done to check the effects of saline water on the growth of fruit trees and their output. Fruits such as grapefruit, lemon, apple, peach, etch require different climates, soil condition and cultivation methods to extract the maximum yield out of each tree. However, they all require water for survival.
With large tracts of soil around the world turning arid, cultivating has started shrinking and researchers are trying to study if fruit trees can be grown and extracted in such areas where the salinity levels are high. Some studies have shown that fruit trees provide a lower yield where the salinity of the water is very high. However, moderate levels of salinity have shown no adverse effects on fruit yields and some studies have also shown a moderate increase where trees were watered with slightly saline water.
Drip irrigation where the water was supplied through nozzles placed over the soil, seemed to be the best method of supplying saline water to fruit trees. The salt from the water seemed to remain at the top of the soil, where the roots were comparatively fewer, while the roots deep within the soil received relatively less saline water. This arrangement could help to convert several arid areas around the world into fruit-producing fields. However, the soil needs to be rotated at regular intervals as the salt levels could build up to levels that might be counter-productive to the tree. The saline levels too will have to be set and monitored for optimum fruit extracts.
Humans too require water for survival. Since most fruits contain 90% water approximately, people can eat various fruits to stay hydrated as well as consume vital vitamins and nutrients present in fruits. However, for people that do not have the time or inclination to eat fruits, various fruit flavors made from natural fruit extracts can help them flavor plain or sparkling water so as to enjoy drinking tasty water and remain hydrated at the same time. If fruit trees can flourish in saline water then people can have access to cheaper fruits and the prices of flavors too could come down to consume them on a continuous basis.
Several studies have shown promising results on the effects of saline water on fruit trees. The right amount of saline water along with the right level of salinity can produce the right amount of fruits on each tree and can help humans to expand into arid areas around the world. The effects on fruit extract using saline water look optimistic and actual experiments on large tracts of barren land can confirm if saline water can be safely used for growing fruit trees in the future.