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<br />~ <br />(~ <br />t- <br />,') <br /> <br />t_~) <br />,. , <br />'-- <br /> <br />tolerant species within their natural habitats to the physical <br />and chemical properties of Glenwood Springs saline water. as <br />well as to the Grand Junction region. On the basis of this <br />effort, initial performance expectations were established for <br />the STEP process. <br /> <br />Evapotranspiration rates equivalent to 0.75 inches per day over <br />the seven ,month period plant's growing season were j~gged <br />realistic. An annual biomass yield near 1800 g Dry wt m (8 <br />tons per acre) is expected without allowance for growing season <br />extensions uniformly reported when aquatic plants are compared <br />side-by-side with land-plant counterparts. One of the reasons <br />this result is obtained is that the Grand Junction region <br />receives 87% of its annual amount of sunlight during the period <br />April to October. The advantage of a full year growing season <br />in Colorado does not appear very significant with respect to <br />yield. <br /> <br />An analysis of the chemical composition of halophylic emergent <br />plants was conducted which uncovered a variety of product <br />opportunities t3at are dependent upon species, growth <br />conditions. and markets. Salt content may benefit the forage <br />value of these crops by improving the mineral composition of <br />feed mixes. Similarly, species able to tolerate highest <br />internal salt concentrations are the most likely candidates to <br />produce extractable osmoregulators. such as mannitol. <br />resorcinol, and amino-acetic acid. A single-celled plant, <br />Dunaliella bardawil, can produce as much as 60% of its weight in <br />glycerol when grown in 2.5 M ~aCl equivalents seawater (Raymond, <br />1982). Luttge and Smith (1984) suggest that mechanisms in all <br />halophytes are similar and that they probably have common <br />ancestry. What is found in one group of halophytes therefore <br />might be expected to occur in another. This opens a very broad <br />spectrum of product opportunities for a group of plants as <br />ignored as the emergent halophytes. <br /> <br />Six categories of plants were found that contained members that <br />appeared suited for deployment in STEP processes. These species <br />have the ability to grow and function at salinities equivalent <br />to seawater, are able to over-winter or produce a full crop <br />within seven months. and can tolerate extended periods of <br />inundation. Each also appears to have multiproduct potential. <br /> <br />Criteria were <br />as to guide <br />The conditions <br /> <br />established for evaluating these species. as well <br />the selection of sites for process implementation. <br />of the "ideal" site were identified as follows: <br /> <br />The site has a level terrain openly exposed to wind and <br />sun. This provides for iowest cost site preparation, <br />maximum opportunities for evaporative water loss, and best <br />use of available solar radiation for growth. It is located <br />within the protective shield of the Grand Junction valley in <br />order to maximize opportunities for extended growing <br /> <br />-xxxx- <br />