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ConsiderTheSaltTolerantPotatoModernFarmer

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Consider The SaltTolerant Potato

By Monica Nicks on December 19, 2014

http://modernfarmer.com/2014/12/salttolerantpotato/

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ConsiderTheSaltTolerantPotatoModernFarmer

Salt water has long been viewed as poison to farming

systems, particularly when it comes to the crops we value
most.
Noneofthetopfiveplantseatenbypeoplewheat,corn,rice,potatoesandsoybeanscantolerate
salt,agriculturalexpertsEdwardP.Glenn,J.JedBrownandJamesW.OLearywrote16yearsago,in
adefinitiveScientificAmericanarticle.Exposethemtoseawater,andtheydroop,shrivelanddie
withindays.
NowthatscientificprinciplehasbeencrackedbyaDutchpotatothatdrinksinsaltanddoesnt
breakasweat.AresearcherandafarmerintheNetherlandsteameduptoexperimentwithcropsthat
couldthriveinseawater.TheysetupshopontheislandofTexel,alandrichwithsaltmarshes.Along
theway,theymetanelderlyDutchfarmerwithanencyclopedicknowledgeofthousandsofpotato
varieties.Together,theycreatedthesalttolerantpotato.
Ifyourethinkingthismeansafutureofpresaltedveggies,holditrightthere.
Whatwefindisthat,ifyouteaseaplantwithsalt,itcompensateswithmoresugar,saysDr.Argen
deVos,theresearchinghalfoftheduo.Youdhavetoeatmanymanykilosofpotatoesbeforeyoud
exceedyourrecommendedsaltintake.

Ifyourethinkingthismeansafutureofpresalted
veggies,holditrightthere.
DeVosandfarmerMarcvanRijsselberghepartneredwithMetaMeta,aDutchdevelopment
consultant,andlaidoutagameplanforbringingtheirpotatoestoPakistanssaltriddenlands.They
wereawardedUSAidsSecuringWaterforFoodGrandChallengeinSeptember,whichgavethem
fundingtogoforthandspreadtheirseed$100,000forthefirstyear,andupto$400,000overthe
followingtwoyears,providedtheyreachtheirtechnicalandfinancialmilestones,AmyC.Garrett,
deputypressdirectorforUSAid,wroteinanemail.
TheGuardianpositionsthespudaspoisedtolaunchaworldfoodrevolution,butGlennadvises
youtakethenewswithahealthygrainofsalt.TheGuardianarticlesaysthepotatoisgrownon
dilutionsofseawater,notpureseawater,hewroteinanemail.SoIwouldsaythebreakthrough
claimedinthearticleisunsubstantiated.

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Itsacruelironythat97.5percentoftheEarthswaterissaltwater,andlessthanonepercentofthe
leftoverfreshwaterisusable.Meanwhile,70percentofthatfreshwaterisusedforagricultural
purposes.Overtheyears,theideahasbeencautiouslyfloated:Whatifwecouldfeedcropswithsalt
water?Glenn,BrownandOLearyweresomethingofpioneersinthiscorneroftheagriculturemarket.
Their1998ScientificAmericanarticlepresentedtheirexperimentswithhalophytes,plantsthatgrow
inhighlysalinewater.TheysingledoutSalicorniabigelovii,aplantthatcontainsanoilsimilarto
saffloweroil,andshowedpromiseasasourceofbothfoodandfuel.

Itsacruelironythat97.5percentoftheEarthswateris
saltwater,andlessthanonepercentoftheleftover
freshwaterisusable.
Theresearchersendedtheirresearchonawistfulnote:Ourgoalinthelate1970swastoestablishthe
feasibilityofseawaterweexpectedtoseecommercialfarmingwithin10years.Twentyyearslater
seawateragricultureisstillattheprototypestageofcommercialdevelopment.
Sincethen,morecontendershavebeenfloated:Rememberthishealthierversionofatomato,also
grownindilutedsaltwater?Youdont?Thatsbecausewerestillalongwaysfromanyofthese
developmentstranslatingintomoney.
Wedohavecropsthatcangrowonseawateranddemonstrationfarmshaveshownthefeasibility,
butitisstillnoteconomicallyfeasibletoreplaceconventionalcropswithseawatercrops,Glenntold
us.
AsfordeVosandRijsselberghespotatoes,theyreontheirwaytoPakistan,wheretheyllbeplanted
onlandthathasbeenunproductiveforyears.Maytheyclingtothesoilandneverletgo.
FOOD OCEAN POTATOES SALT

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