Effect of rooting media and IBA treatment on rooting response of South African dune spinach (Tetragonia decumbens): an underutilized edible halophyte

Abstract

Globally, the agricultural industry feeds more than 7 billion people, and alarmingly by 2050, that number will exceed 8 billion (Molotoks et al., 2021). The global demand for food production has never been greater, particularly in developing countries where the population is expected to grow by 90%, implying that food insecurity will become a bigger issue (Gidamis and Chove, 2009; Ogunniyi et al., 2020). To meet the increased food demand, crop production should increase by 70 to 100% by 2050, according to the World Development Report (World Bank, 2007). However, poor agro ecological conditions and the scarcity of freshwater have severely impacted the yield of essential crops such as wheat, rice and maize around the world including South Africa, making it extremely difficult to meet the required target (Acquaah, 2007; Corwin, 2021). Furthermore, poor agro ecological conditions such as soil salinity are anticipated to pose a major problem in many regions in the future due to climate change (Sogoni et al., 2021). Recent attempts to adapt to these climatic conditions include the use of wild salt-tolerant plants (halophytes) with significant economic values such as leafy vegetables, feed crops and pharmaceutical precursors (Debez et al., 2010; Ventura and Sagi, 2013). This resulted in an increased interest in the crop production development of edible halophytes in combating the challenges of food and nutrient deficiency around the world (Jacobsen et al., 2013; Kashyap et al., 2021).