We should also investigate other plants that could be used to feed people. The Asian wax gourd, for example, has a thick waxy covering which allows it to be stored, unrefrigerated, for up to a year. It grows rapidly and so produces several harvests each year. Southeast Asia' s winged bean contains more protein than potato and cassava, and the nutritious yeheb nut thrives in very dry conditions.
Mixed vegetation helps keep soils moist and reduces the need for irrigation. Growing nitrogen-fixing crops like clover and alfalfa alongside other crops helps fertilize them, while hedgerows offer wind protection and provide homes for pest-eating insects.
Food production is not the only field in which we can profit from nature' s variety: reeds, rushes, and water hyacinths work together to help clean organic waste from water. Sewage treatment plants can therefore grow combinations of these species to help purify water naturally. Scientists are investigating a multitude of other ways in which natural systems can be used as models for industrial processes.
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