RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Salicornia bigelovii Torr.: An Oilseed Halophyte for Seawater Irrigation JF Science JO Science FD American Association for the Advancement of Science SP 1065 OP 1067 DO 10.1126/science.251.4997.1065 VO 251 IS 4997 A1 GLENN, EDWARD P. A1 O'LEARY, JAMES W. A1 WATSON, M. CAROLYN A1 THOMPSON, T. LEWIS A1 KUEHL, ROBERT O. YR 1991 UL http://science.sciencemag.org/content/251/4997/1065.abstract AB The terrestrial halophyte, Salicornia bigelovii Torr., was evaluated as an oilseed crop for direct seawater irrigation during 6 years of field trials in an extreme coastal desert environment. Yields of seed and biomass equated or exceeded freshwater oilseed crops such as soybean and sunflower. The seed contained 26 to 33 percent oil, 31 percent protein, and was low in fiber and ash (5 to 7 percent). The oil and meal were extracted by normal milling equipment, and the oil was high in linoleic acid (73 to 75 percent) and could replace soybean oil in chicken diets. The meal had antigrowth factors, attributed to saponins, but could replace soybean meal in chicken diets amended with the saponin antagonist, cholesterol. Salicornia bigelovii appears to be a potentially valuable new oilseed crop for subtropical coastal deserts.