SaltyRicePlantBoostsHarvests
Britishscientistsarebreedinganewgenerationofriceplantsthatwillbeabletogrowinsoilcontainingsaltwater. Theirworkmayenableabandonedfarmstobecomeproductiveoncemore.
TimFlowersandTonyYeo, fromSussexUniversitysSchoolofBiologicalSciences,havespentseveralyearsresearchinghowcrops, suchasrice, couldbemadetogrowinwaterthathasbecomesalty.
Thepairhaverecentlybegunathree-yearprogramme, fundedbytheBiotechnologyandBiologicalSciencesResearchCouncil, toestablishwhichgenesenablesomeplantstosurvivesaltyconditions. Theaimistobreedthiscapabilityintocrops, startingwithrice.
Itisestimatedthateachyearmorethan 10mhectaresofagriculturallandarelostbecausesaltgetsintothesoilandstuntsplants. Theproblemiscausedbyseveralfactors. Inthetropics, mangrovesthatcreateswampsandtraditionallyformedbarrierstoseawaterhavebeencutdown. IntheMediterranean, aseriesofdroughtshavecausedthewatertabletodrop, allowingseawatertoseepin. InLatinAmerica, irrigationoftencausesproblemswhenwaterisevaporatedbytheheat, leavingsaltdepositsbehind.
Excesssaltthenenterstheplantsandpreventsthemfunctioningnormally. Heavyconcentrationsofmineralsintheplantsstopthemdrawingupthewatertheyneedtosurvive.
返回查字典首页>>