Japanese Speed Up Plant Roots To Make Desert Green

FLORA AND FAUNA

"Simulation research has shown a certain level of forestation would help form clouds above and bring about rain" in regions of Saudi Arabia along the Red Sea where humid air is already flowing in, a Mitsubishi statement said.

Tokyo (AFP) Dec 13, 2005
Japanese researchers say they have developed a way to make plant roots grow three times faster in a bid to begin to turn green a coastal desert in Saudi Arabia.

Longer roots would help plants reach water that is often 50 to 200 centimeters (20 to 80 inches) deep in deserts, raising their chances of survival, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries said.

Construction of an experimental plant-growing facility will start in Saudi Arabia sometime in the year from April 2006, said a spokesman for Mitsubishi, the main contractor of the project initiated by Japan's science ministry.

The results of the research - which is supported by the Saudi government and universities in Saudi Arabia and Japan - could also be applied to many arid areas in the Middle East, Africa, India and China.

The researchers controlled the soil hardness, moisture, temperature and nutrients to make the roots of a soybean seedling grow to 38 centimeters in a cylinder over a week, compared with eight centimeters for an untreated sample.

On average, the speed of growth has been three times faster by carefully managing the plants, Mitsubishi Heavy said.

The method has also worked on Japanese black pines, which are close to the dates the project plans to use in Saudi Arabia, it said.

Source: Agence France-Presse

FLORA AND FAUNA

China's Highways Cut Panda Habitat Into Pieces

Beijing (AFP) Dec 12, 2005
China's endangered giant panda is facing a new threat from the rapid expansion of the national highway network, which is well on the way to cutting its natural habitat into tiny pieces, state media said Monday.

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