Scientists hail drought crop

Droughts cause devastation for farmers across the developing world

Scientists have developed a new type of plant which is being hailed as a breakthrough for drought-prone countries.

Existing forms of the plant, the grasspea, can live for months without rain but can prove toxic to humans.

Now, researchers in Syria say they have developed a new strain of the plant which is just as hardy and high in protein, but is not poisonous.

The new plant will be tested in drought-prone Ethiopia

The new plants are to be tested out in drought-prone countries including Ethiopia and India.

"Grasspea (Lathyrus sativus) is typically the last plant standing in times of drought," said Adel El-Beltagy, head of the research centre which made the breakthrough.

"Poor people know the effects of eating grasspea but live under such desperate conditions that they have no other option but to eat it.

"We wanted to make this option of last resort a safe one."

Poor people know the effects of eating grasspea but live under such desperate conditions that they have no other option but to eat it

Researcher Adel El-Beltagy

The new strain was developed by crossing Middle Eastern versions of the plant - which are lower in toxins - with the Asian and African varieties.

The result, say scientists, is a type of grasspea that is safe to eat and will grow in some of the harshest climates in the world.

Mr El-Beltagy says the plants have the added bonus of being tasty.

"I have eaten them myself, and they are quite delicious," he said.

The new plant will grow for months without rain

The existing strains of the plant are already grown across more than a million hectares of land each year, mostly in Ethiopia, India and Pakistan.

Most of the crop is fed to livestock, which is not affected by the toxic chemicals which the plants contain.

But in times of severe drought, when all other crops fail, the grasspea is eaten despite the health risks.

It can cause paralysis, especially in children, if consumed in large quantities.

Legume crop

The health of as many as 100,000 people in developing countries is believed to have been harmed in this way.

The grasspea is a legume crop, part of the family to which peas and beans belong.

Grasspea is known by many names including chickling pea and Indian vetch (North America and the United Kingdom); almorta (Spain); khesari or batura (India); gilban (Sudan and Egypt); guaya (Ethiopia), matri (Pakistan); gesette (France); and pisello bretonne (Italy).