Amina Salah

Egyptian agricultural scientist who developed drought-resistant crops that fed millions during the 1950s famine

Amina Salah (1928-2012) revolutionized Middle Eastern agriculture through her pioneering work in crop genetics. As Egypt's first female agronomy professor, she developed the Sakah2 wheat variety in 1955 that could thrive with 30% less water - a breakthrough during the severe Nile drought of 1956-58. Her research at Cairo University's Agricultural Genetics Institute led to the creation of the Nile Valley Crop Improvement Program, which distributed drought-resistant seeds to 500,000 farmers.

Salah's 1960s hybridization of barley strains created the first crops capable of growing in the Sahara's marginal soils. Her 1963 discovery of nitrogen-fixing bacteria strains specific to Egyptian soils doubled crop yields in the Fayoum Depression region. These innovations prevented famine during the 1967 water crisis when the Aswan Dam project disrupted traditional irrigation systems.

Her 1970 book Desert Agriculture Possibilities inspired similar programs across North Africa. The Amina Salah Agricultural Research Center in Luxor continues her work, recently developing salt-tolerant crops for climate change adaptation. Her legacy is honored by the Arab Women in Science Foundation, which awards annual grants in her name. Salah's techniques remain foundational to modern drought-resistant crop development globally.