Trials progressing in various locations, OlsAro approaches the point of distributing salt-resistant wheat
In a significant stride towards enhancing agricultural resilience, Swedish startup OlsAro and Indian conglomerate DCM Shriram have joined forces to develop salt-tolerant wheat varieties. This collaboration, which commenced in early 2024, promises to boost the yield potential of farmers in saline-prone regions.
OlsAro, a pioneer in creating crops resilient to environmental stressors, has been utilizing a "population-based approach" with EMS mutagenesis for variety development. This non-GM method can be applied in any market, making it a versatile tool for addressing global agricultural challenges. The company's extensive database of genomic data, field data, transcriptomics, and AI supports its research and development efforts.
In November 2024, DCM Shriram received three salt-tolerant wheat lines from OlsAro. These lines were tested during the Rabi cropping season 2024-25 at three locations in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, chosen for their high salinity levels. Preliminary results from one year of testing have been encouraging, demonstrating both yield superiority and tolerance to local diseases.
The partnership between OlsAro and DCM Shriram is geared towards ensuring that the new salt-tolerant wheat varieties meet or exceed the performance of current cultivars in saline-affected areas, thereby facilitating rapid farmer uptake. Key factors being assessed for adoption include yield performance compared to existing local varieties, tolerance to salinity and area-specific diseases, and additional traits such as drought tolerance.
Soil salinity in India is increasing at a rate of 10% per year, and it is estimated that by 2050, around half of the arable land could become salt-affected. This collaboration, therefore, holds immense potential for addressing the looming productivity challenges in saline soils.
In addition to salt-tolerant wheat, OlsAro is also working on crops that are more heat-tolerant and have improved nitrogen efficiency. The company claims it can help partners deliver meaningful increases in yield vs elite local varieties in saline soil. This collaborative approach could pave the way for a more sustainable and productive agricultural future, particularly in regions affected by environmental stressors.
[1] Source: DCM Shriram Communications, 2025.
- Leveraging their respective expertise, OlsAro and DCM Shriram aim to extend the benefits of their research beyond agricultural resilience, exploring possibilities in medical-conditions related to health-and-wellness, such as discovering edible crops that can help manage nutritional deficiencies caused by soil conditions.
- In the realm of science and health-and-wellness, OlsAro's population-based approach and extensive genomic data may hold solutions to alleviate the medical-conditions arising from malnutrition, particularly in populations situated in saline-prone regions, offering a holistic solution for improving both their agricultural and health outcomes.
