Extreme weather events pose significant threats to agriculture, contributing to the desertification of certain regions of the globe. In order to prevent certain regions from losing the ability to sustain life and grow food, startup company SaliCrop, Ltd., has created a breakthrough seed treatment to transform arid terrain and make it capable of growing food.
 
The company developed a novel non-GMO approach to bolster seeds’ resilience to abiotic stresses brought on by extreme climate challenges, boosting cultivation in arid regions, raising yields, and increasing the value of marginal land. SaliCrop has already begun its work with Spain’s tomato industry.
 
Dry soil with excessive salt content, caused by rising sea levels, or unavoidable irrigation with brackish water, hinders germination and growth of many crops. Heat stress will threaten nearly three-quarters of the world’s food production over the next 20 years, according to a 2022 report by Verisk Maplecroft.
 
“The greatest concerns occupying farmers today is how to maintain yields in the face of volatile and harsh climate conditions which lead to poor soil quality,” said Sharon Devir, PhD, co-founder and active chairperson of SaliCrop. “More than 830 million hectares of agricultural land is now salty. Abiotic stresses are responsible for 30-50% loss of agricultural productivity worldwide. This amounts to a colossal $170 billion in revenue losses yearly. Our solution centered on countering this by helping farmers who grow crops in vast open fields.”
 
Enhancing Seeds
 
SaliCrop’s seed enhancement technology was developed by Ṛcā Godbole, Ph.D., co-founder and CSO of SaliCrop. Godbole is a plain biologist who has dedicated time assisting smallholder farmers in coastal regions of Mumbai contending with substantial soil salinity setbacks.
 
Godbole and Devir, a mechanical agronomist who established the first Arab-Israeli life science technology greenhouse in Nazareth, Israel, began conducting trials in Israel growing wheat and vegetables using saltwater irrigation in a closed facility.
 
SaliCrop has developed hundreds of seed enhancement protocols designed to improve plant resilience to the impacts of climate change by intentionally exposing the seeds to controlled abiotic stressors. The process harnesses innate stress-response mechanisms, helping seds thrive during intense heat, prolonged dry spells, and low water.
 
“Plants have certain environmental  stress inducible  genes that act as internal alarms,” said Godbole. “When there is too much salt, or too much heat, these alarms go off and the plant enters defense mode. But often, by the time the plant reacts, it’s too late. ” Without changing the plant’s DNA, SaliCrop’s green solution acts as a gentle nudge to preemptively stimulate the stress responses even before the plant finds itself in salty or hot conditions.
 
“Under SaliCrop’s treatment, plants not only thrive in poor quality, highly saline soil through enhanced nutrient absorption and improved root structures, but they also exhibit increased vigor and superior germination rates,” said Carmit Oron, CEO of SaliCrop. “This innovation turns marginal lands, previously considered barren, into fertile grounds capable of abundant food production. As climate change intensifies, farmers globally are in urgent need of sustainable solutions to adapt and succeed. SaliCrop is at the forefront, with leading agricultural players already integrating our technology.”
 
Spanish Tomato Program
 
SaliCrop began with Spain’s tomato industry, which has been facing seasonal temperature highs reaching 113°F. Two years ago, the company collaborated with farmers in Extremadura in projects to boost yields and quality of tomatoes grown in 30-hectare sized fields.
 
Spain has been increasingly experiencing droughts, possibly the worst drought conditions in 160 recorded years, raising concerns about water scarcity. Reservoir capacity has plummeted to 30% of its total, which is the lowest in 27 years, according to the Ministry for Ecological Transition.
 
“This results in a loss of soil moisture causing tomato crops to shrivel and is compounded by losses in yields,” said Godbole. “The water loss leads to salt accumulation around the roots, hindering water absorption.”
 
“Our climate-smart seed enhancement technology has empowered tomatoes to better withstand extreme climate events,” said Devir. “Through extensive field trials, with the leading commercial seed varieties, we’ve observed promising outcomes, including substantial enhancements in plant growth with an impressive 10-17% increase in yield. Additionally, post-harvest Brix levels have improved.  This translates to an added income of approximately 1,300-1,800EUR per hectare for the farmers.”
 
Going Commercial
 
The company is progressing with field trials across Europe, Africa, and India, focusing on a variety of crops including onions, broccoli, chili rice, and more. SaliCrop is at commercial stages in Israel, selling treated tomato seeds across 700 hectares.
 
As SaliCrop begins commercialization, the company will target more crops to demonstrate the universal applicability of its technology.