Salt of the Earth -- Engineering Salt-tolerant Plants

With the world population at six billion people and counting, a food supply is an ever-increasing concern. Meanwhile, 25 million acres of productive agricultural land are being lost each year as the soil becomes increasingly salty. We could face a substantial shortage. The question is: should we fix the soils or alter the genetics of plants? Eduardo Blumwald at the University of California has genetically engineered a plant to endure salty soils. His transgenic creation borrows a specific salt-tolerant gene for the lowly cabbage plant.

All 50 Secrets of the Sequence videos have an accompanying classroom-tested lesson that encourages students to further explore the video topics. Each lesson includes background information, state and national science standards, discussion questions and answers, teacher notes and an activity that will ensure a hands-on, "minds-on" experience. To see lessons for this series, visit http://www.pubinfo.vcu.edu/secretsofthesequence/.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• vcu
• virginia
• commonwealth
• university
• richmond
• rams
• agriculture
• gene
• dna
• science
• plants
• cells
• biology
• genetics
• medicine

[princeofautumn]

Can none of this be altered by the use of crop rotation. Certain plants take certain minerals out of the environment, others take on others...

We rotate in crops that absorb salinity then when salinity levels are back down, plant our other crops... (just saying could probably used something already there...)...