Nizwa University studies drought resistant wheat to improve Oman’s food security

  • Date: 27-Feb-2021
  • Source: Times of Oman
  • Sector:Education
  • Country:Oman
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Nizwa University studies drought resistant wheat to improve Oman’s food security

"The project will take at least two years of continued experimentation and we expect some preliminary results to be published by early next year," said Dr Abdul Latif Khan. Muscat: Varieties of drought-resistant wheat that thrive in Oman are being looked at by researchers at the University of Nizwa, so that they can help provide food security for the Sultanate. The research aims to find out why certain strains of the crop are more resistant to drought and heat, so that they can be grown in larger amounts to produce food, despite the arid conditions in the country. The research is being led by the university's Natural and Medical Sciences Research Centre, which will analyse two varieties of locally-grown wheat: one that is commonly used to make bread, and another which is turned into pasta. "Wheat is a strategic crop that provides substantial calories, besides rice," said Dr Abdul Latif Khan, who is leading the research. "Oman is endowed with a rich diversity of food crops, with wheat being regarded as a strategic food crop. It is grown in the country's diversified agro-ecological regions. "However, physiological properties against drought and other harsh environments are not yet known," he added. "This