Which drought-tolerant crops are suitable for growing in arid regions?

What Is Suitable for Growing in Arid Regions

Crops: foxtail millet, broomcorn millet, sorghum, sesame, peanut, buckwheat, castor bean, sunflower, sweet potato, corn, miscellaneous beans, wheat, etc.

Fruits: watermelon, Hami melon, red date, goji berry, banana, mango, durian, carambola, pitaya, pomelo, kiwifruit, lychee, longan, etc.

Medicinal herbs: Codonopsis pilosula, Angelica sinensis, Astragalus membranaceus, Cistanche deserticola, licorice, lily, burdock seed, red peony root, black cohosh, Bupleurum, Lycium root bark, rhubarb, Gastrodia elata, etc.

Vegetation Characteristics of Arid Regions

The vegetation of arid regions is dominated by xerophytic grasses and shrubs. A characteristic of plants in arid regions is the large biomass of their roots; typically, more than 50% of the biomass in an arid community is in its root system. Root-to-shoot ratios of arid species ranging between 1 and 2 have been reported. Arid communities have a high-nitrogen litter layer, averaging 1.5%, higher than the 1.2% of grasslands and the 0.6% of forests. An example of nitrogen cycling in an arid community shows the enormous root biomass and the importance of dust deposition in nutrient cycling. In this example the system is considered closed; in reality, nitrogen losses through soil erosion and animal transfer are high. Vegetation dynamics in arid regions are strongly affected by precipitation. Some observations indicate that, in general, the vegetation biomass or density of arid regions holds at a constant level, rising after precipitation, and the seasonal flush lags behind the precipitation period.