Wednesday, 1 June 2022

Sea Kale: The Great Survivor

Sea kale (Crambe maritima) is a member of the cabbage family, adapted to hostile conditions on shingle beaches (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jun/01/specieswatch-how-sea-kale-thrives-in-hostile-conditions). Shingle beaches consist of pebbles that are frequently inundated by seawater from tides, storms etc. Sea kale is resistant to salt and has a deep tap root. The tap root firmly anchors the plant on top of the shingle and also stores useable water and carbohydrates. Sea kale's seeds are so tough they can be distributed by seawater. Studies of the Sea kale's ability to thrive in such hostile conditions, may help develop crops that can do the same? For example, salt tolerance could be transferred using Genetic Modification techniques.
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