Uzbekistan: Rehabilitation of Desert Rangelands Affected by Salinity, to Improve Food Security, Combat Desertification and Maintain the Natural Resource Base - Combating Desertification in Asia, Africa and the Middle East - page 255

Fig. 13.10 Ion average concentrations detected in the aboveground biomass of salt tolerant
rangelands species at the flowering stage

5 Mineral Composition of Forage as a Nutrition Source

for Livestock

Our investigation on chemical composition of desert plants for ions like Cl ,SO 4 2 ,
HCO 3 ,Na C ,K C ,Ca 2C ,Mg 2C , as well as phosphorus and iron, showed significant
changes within different halophytic forage species. As is shown on Fig. 13.8
the naturally growing plants, e.g., Halocnemum strobilaceum , Tamarix hispida ,
Climacoptera , Halothamnus subaphylla contains higher Na C concentrations near
the critical limit for livestock, while legumes ( Alhagi pseudoalhagi )andsome
gramineous fodder grass mostly accumulate K C .
Based on upon a large amount of experimental evidence accumulated over
years of research (some of which we shared above) we are now able to elaborate
proven practices for range improvement operations/establishment and regeneration
techniques. Depending upon the particular landscape and environmental conditions
about 42 rangelands fodder species proved to be of most value for range intro-
duction and eventually forage crop cultivation and seed multiplication and produc-
tion. Among them perennial Salsolas , Ephedra strobilaceae , Haloxylon aphyllum ,
Halothamnus subaphylla Campharosma lessingii , Kochia scoparia , Zygophyllum
species , Alhagi pseudoalhagi , Glycyrrhiza glabra , Lycium turcomanicum , Lycium
ruthenicum ,some Calligonum species, Ceratoides Ewersmannia , Camphorosma
Lessingii , Kochia prostrata , K . scoparia , Limonium gmelinii , Salsola arbuscula ,
Psylliostachys suvorovii , annual Salsola spp., Atriplex spp., Bassia hyssopifolia ,
Halocnemis varia , and others showed promising results in increasing productivity
of degraded rangelands.