Read at : African Agriculture
http://africanagriculture.blogspot.com/2008/03/north-africa-to-develop-drought-salt.html
North Africa to develop drought, salt-tolerant barley
Algeria’s National Institute of Agricultural Research (INRAA), Egypt’s National Research Centre and Agricultural Genetic Engineering Research Institute, and Tunisia’s Centre of Biotechnology and National Institute of Agriculture Research will be involved in the project.
The researchers met in Borj Essedria in southern Tunisia in February to discuss genetic techniques — including genetic modification — that could be used to increase barley’s nutritional quality, as well as make it drought- and saltwater-tolerant.
“We want to develop two varieties of barley in each country, making a total of six varieties expected to be resistant to drought and high salinity,” says Hussein Irikti, coordinator of scientific activities and research for INRAA, which is overseeing Algeria’s role in the project. “If we succeed in achieving the goal, we will launch another programme bigger and broader than this,” he adds.
(continued)