Climate Changed
Scientists Breed Salt-Loving Crops, But World Is Slow to Bite
- Researchers growing plants like quinoa to beat climate change
- So-called halophyte crops used for salads, fodder and biofuels
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Scientists in Dubai are developing crops like quinoa that can thrive in the salty soils intruding into the world’s croplands. Winning over enough people to eat them is proving a greater challenge.
At an experimental farm within sight of the world’s tallest skyscraper, researchers at the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture are trying to help farmers in the Middle East and beyond earn a living from unlikely plants known as halophytes. These plants, from trendy quinoa to obscure salicornia, flourish in salty and arid environments where staple crops like wheat or rice would wither.