Salt Tolerant Crops
What Are They?
Salt tolerant crops are plants that can survive in conditions with salinity that most plants would normally die in. The way they work is that they are genetically modified to remove sodium from the plant's xylem, which is the area of the plant that carries water through it. By reducing the amount of salt plants take in, these crops are able to live in conditions with high salinity. This is especially helpful as about 20% of the world's soil is already affected by salinity.
Although they are not yet commercially available, they show significant promise in aiding farmers. Being able to plant crops in locations that they would not normally be able to use could lead to extremely high profits for farmers. Salt tolerant crops are not as prominent as a genetically modified crop, but they hold tremendous potential.
Complications
Complications involved around salt tolerant crops are their limitations. Although not as limited as flood tolerant crops, they are only really useful in areas that have high salinity, leaving them virtually useless in other locations. Other complications involve how little is currently known about this technology and that it is not yet perfected.
Comparison of salt tolerant crops (left) against regular crops (right) in an environment with increased salinity.