Re: now plagued by salination.

Salination of soil is an old problem.. early farmers switched from wheat to rye to barley as salt built up, since each is more salt tolerant (wheat is the least, rye is more, barley still more tolerant of salty soils.

wheat is also (generally) harder to grow. rye and barley can withstand cold and drought better than wheat. (the great plains of US were not great producers of wheat, until an influx of russian and other eastern and northern europeans brought 'winter wheat' (red wheat) which is sown in the fall, and lies, waiting under the snow for spring to germinate.
winter/red wheat is much harder wheat..(the endosperm, or starchy head has a greater quanity of complex protiens, like gluten) most european wheat is 'softer'
(corn(maize) has this same characterist, flint corn is more common in the north.. -flint as it name suggests, has a very hard kernal.)


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