A new type of wheat bred with a gene that removes sodium from water can outgrow conventional strains by up to 25% in salty soils, Australian scientists have found. The breakthrough by a team from CSIRO and the University of Adelaide was achieved with non-genetically modified crop breeding techniques, and could be an important asset for farmers worldwide as they cope with the effect of climate change on soil salinity. Scientists from CSIRO Plant Industry in Canberra identified the gene, from an ancient strain of wheat, more than 15 years ago