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| A desert in Saudi Arabia, home to the Shaybah oil extraction facility |
In the harsh, arid conditions of the coastal desert of Saudi Arabia, plant roots must dig down into the ground 20 to 80 centimeters to find water. Typically, plants do not survive until their roots reach a sufficient water source.
Recently, however, Japanese scientists announced that they have developed a technique that allows plant roots to grow three times faster, significantly increasing the chances of plant survival in arid environments. This marks a significant advancement in the effort to “green” the coastal desert of Saudi Arabia.
According to the research findings, the roots of the plants treated with this method reached a length of 38 cm, while those of untreated plants only grew to 8 cm over the same period.
Starting in April of next year, scientists will begin applying this technique to crops in this desert area. This project is supported by the Saudi Arabian government in collaboration with universities from both Saudi Arabia and Japan, and it holds potential for effective application in arid regions across the Middle East, Africa, India, and China.
D.K.L
