Key Takeaways
- Mercy Corps Ventures selects Salicrop for pilot under Water Security innovation call
- Pilot to test non-GMO seed priming technology for salinity and heat resilience
- Initiative targets tomato farmers in Baja California facing drought and saline irrigation
- Side-by-side field trials planned for 2026 season with 10 smallholder farmers
- Project includes agronomic monitoring and sustainability performance tracking
Mercy Corps Ventures Tests Seed-Based Climate Adaptation in Baja California
Mercy Corps Ventures has launched a pilot project with Salicrop to test a non-GMO seed priming process designed to enhance tomato plants’ resilience to heat and saline irrigation. The pilot was selected as one of three initiatives under the organization’s Innovative Tech for Water Security call for proposals, which received 243 applications from 48 countries.
Tomato growers in Baja California face increasing drought, rising temperatures, and saline irrigation water caused by groundwater degradation and seawater intrusion. These conditions can reduce yields by 20–50%, affecting farm incomes and household stability.
The pilot will evaluate whether Salicrop’s seed treatment technology can improve germination, plant vigor, yield, and fruit quality under these stress conditions.
