Salicornia bigelovii

Salicornia bigelovii is a seed-producing saltwater plant that is often the first to colonize coastal mud flats. With a salt content of only about 3%, the seeds contain about 35% protein. With about 30% content of polyunsaturated oil, similar to safflower oil, the seeds can serve as a rich source of lipids for nutrition. One disadvantage of this plant is that the seed residue remaining after extraction of oil contains bitter saponins, which limit the amounts that can be fed to animals. It may be possible to genetically engineer this plant to eliminate the saponins. 

Input values were suggested from the Project Ras al-Zawr (located in Saudi Arabia, north of Jubail on the Persian Gulf) where Salicornia bigelovii is cultivated (SaudiAramCo, 2007). There, computer-controlled pivot-irrigation arms sprayed seawater sucked in by three diesel pumps at a rate exceeding 28 m /min each unit watering a 50 ha (20.2 acres) circle. It took 6.5 h for the arms to complete one circuit. From these data one easily finds that w,i = 0.0093 10 m /(m s). 

Glenn EP, O Leary JW, Watson MC et al (1991) Salicornia bigelovii Torr. an oilseed halophyte for seawater irrigation. Science 251(4997) 1065-1065... 

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