Year Awarded 2022
FFAR award amount $985,000
Total award amount $1,984,237
Location Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
Matching Funders King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
Grantee Institution King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
Rising sea levels and depleting freshwater reserves are causing a rapid increase in soil salinization, meaning higher levels of salt in the ground. Researchers are assessing the domestication potential of Distichlis palmeri (D. palmeri), a saltwater-loving plant found in the tidal plains around the Gulf of California in Mexico, which would help transition salt-degraded lands into productive agriculture ecosystems.