Driving through the Negev Desert in southern Israel is a more enjoyable experience than you might imagine because the sand-dominated uphills and downhills lack no colorful surprise: camel grass, trees of lush palm dates and apricots, and cactus with vibrant fruit dotting the dry lands and showing unique life resilience.
The desert surrounds parts of the shores of the Dead Sea, the lowest land-based elevation on Earth. The waters of the hyper-saline lake are about ten times saltier than those of the normal ocean, making it a harsh environment for all life and agricultural activities near the lake.
However, not far away from the southernmost tip of the Dead Sea, a wide variety of daily consuming vegetables thrive in apparent defiance of such unfavorable conditions.
In the greenhouses of an experimental farm called Vidor Center, where scientists regularly conduct innovative agricultural research, the bright-colored peppers, watermelons, berries, onions, aubergines, and tomatoes are all full of vitality, showcasing how vegetables can be planted in arid lands and soil of high salinization.
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