When it comes to irrigation, one of the greatest dangers is salt – the tiny molecule that can wreak havoc on the plants’ ability to function. Yet some plants, in all their complexity, have developed tools that can help them resist even that challenge. Now, U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service scientists are looking to build on those tools to create new varieties of crop plants that have even greater ability to withstand salinity. In doing so, they may dramatically expand the type and amount of land and irrigation that can support agriculture.
New crop breed survives challenge
Researchers achieve rapid advances in salinity tolerance by crossing diverse genotypes with traits related to their salt-tolerance mechanism.
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