Although salty soil is less problematic for Missouri farmers, researchers at Washington University and the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in Creve Coeur are addressing global declines in crop production by figuring out how to increase salt tolerance in plants.

Tolerant turf grass

Plants deal with salty environments in several ways. Some species refuse to let salt into their tissues, some excrete it, and others “just put up with it,” said Elizabeth Kellogg, distinguished professor at the Danforth Center.

“These interesting processes are under genetic control,” said Pengyin Chen, professor and soybean breeder at the University of Missouri. Identifying genes that allow plants to deal with high levels of salt can give breeders a better idea of what to target when trying to improve tolerance in crops, he said.

A type of grass, seashore paspalum, is particularly good at putting up with salty conditions. It grows along the coast of the southern U.S. and is a relative of important crops, including corn, rice and wheat.