National Geographic - UK (2022-02)

TEXT AND IMAGES BY ROBERT DASH

700x magnification

Spiky pollen grains

cover one of the many

small flowers that

make up a sunflower’s

head. Sunflowers

can be resistant to

drought, increased

heat, soil salinity, and

SUNFLOWER

FLORET

Seen under a microscope, the seeds, leaves,

and flowers of food plants invite reflection on ways to help

agriculture respond to climate threats.

disease. Geneticists are

studying the plant’s

large genome to learn

how it thrives in stress-

ful environments. Seed

collectors are preserv-

ing wild varieties as a

hedge against future

climate stress. Farmers

may also sow sunflow-

ers as part of a mix

of cover crops, which

are planted between

main harvests to pro-

tect soil quality, guard

against erosion, con-

serve water, and reduce

pesticide use.

These images were

made with a scanning

electron microscope,

which uses electrons

instead of light to capture

fine detail. The results

appear in black and

white. Robert Dash is an

educator and photogra-

pher based near Seattle.

GROWING

A GREENER

FEAST

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