Salt-tolerant chickpea found
Researchers have identified which lines of chickpea grow better in moderately salty soil Image: scorpion56/iStockphoto Researchers at The University of Western Australia, in collaboration with research partners overseas, have identified which lines of chickpea grow better in moderately salty soil.Winthrop Professor Timothy Colmer, from UWA's School of Plant Biology and UWA's Institute of Agriculture, said the project involved researchers from the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics in India and the Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture at UWA.The project was funded by the Australian Research Council through its Linkage Project scheme and the industry partner was Council of Grain Growers Organisation."Soil salinity impedes crop production in many parts of the world, including large areas of farming land in Australia and India," Professor Colmer said."Chickpea is a salt-sensitive crop species, so improvement in its salt tolerance is a priority. The present research...