Four-winged seablite is a perennial semi-evergreen shrub in the Chenopodiaceae family, with a height up to 2 meters. It lacks a distinct main stem, has many branches, and its leaves are alternate, linear or lanceolate, with acuminate or obtuse tips. The leaves are green on the upper surface and gray-green or greenish-red on the underside, with numerous powdery grains. Flowers are either monoecious or dioecious, with male flowers in clusters and female flowers in axils without a calyx, the bracts are bilobed, and bisexual flowers are also found in the axils. The fruit is a silique, with ovate seeds. Flowering begins in mid-June and peaks in late June. It is a typical plant in semi-arid regions, with a wide range of soil conditions it adapts to, being drought and saline-tolerant. Four-winged seablite is used for reclamation, improvement of degraded pastures, restoration of wasteland in industrial and mining areas, vegetation along roads, high-salinity desert regions, and as a species for soil and water conservation.
Four-winged saltbush is widely used for road slope stabilization and soil conservation, but primarily for pasture improvement. In the southwestern United States, it's extensively planted alongside many highways, both to reinforce road protection and to assist stressed pastures in increasing productivity.

The value and superior characteristics of Suaeda salsa are primarily fourfold: Firstly, it is drought-resistant and cold-tolerant, thriving well in arid and semi-arid deserts with an average annual precipitation of 350mm, an average temperature of around 5°C, and an extreme low temperature of -40°C. Secondly, it is salt-tolerant; trials show it grows well in soil with a salt content of 1.3%. Planting one acre (equivalent to 6 mu) of Suaeda salsa can absorb over a ton of salt from the soil in a year, reducing salinity in abandoned fields to a level suitable for other crops. It is an excellent salt-tolerant plant for soil improvement, sometimes referred to as a "biological desalinator" for transforming saline-sodic lands. Thirdly, it is nutrient-rich, making it an excellent feed shrub. After the spring regrowth, it grows rapidly, forming a forest in the same year with a well-developed root system containing nitrogen-fixing nodules. It can be harvested three times a year, providing a significant feed yield and rich nutritional value, and the salty taste of Suaeda salsa is favored by livestock. It also has the ability to accumulate selenium, further enhancing feed quality. Suaeda salsa is highly resilient, more resistant to grazing than other feed plants, and is a valuable feed shrub in desert, semi-desert, and arid regions. Fourthly, it has a wide range of adaptability and is an excellent species for soil and water conservation and desert transformation. It can grow not only on land with good soil and water conditions but also in harsh environments such as arid deserts, loess plateaus, saline-sodic wastelands, and sandy areas. Since 1990, it has been planted and tested in Xining and Qaidam regions (including areas around Dulan and Golmud), growing well and serving as an excellent species for soil and water conservation, pasture improvement, and desert transformation. It grows quickly in the early stages, allowing for early canopy closure. The western part of our country, located in arid and semi-arid regions, has poor ecological and climatic conditions, extensive barren hills and ravines, extensive desertification, low forest coverage, severe soil erosion and desertification, low land use efficiency, making it highly suitable for planting Suaeda salsa.

The variety introduced to our country has been bred and improved by institutions such as the University of Colorado, Boulder, over a period of 25 years. Regional trials indicate that it exhibits strong vitality in the Three North regions, boasting significant development potential and utilization value. We plan to introduce and cultivate this species in Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Gansu, Qinghai, as well as coastal saline-alkali wastelands. Researchers in this field state that due to the excellent forage value and characteristics such as drought resistance and high yield, if Suaeda salsa is planted during dry years, livestock will not starve. Due to its numerous advantages, Suaeda salsa has garnered widespread attention worldwide.

Four-winged saltbush is a valuable and excellent forage shrub for desert, semi-desert, and mountain arid lands, with good palatability for livestock. Its branches and leaves contain over 12% crude protein (with leaves containing 21.64% and branches containing 8.32%). High in protein content, it makes excellent feed for cattle and sheep. Its feed value and meat yield are comparable to several common feed types (see table). Additionally, the biomass of four-winged saltbush is substantial, reaching 23 tons per hectare, and it is not easily buried by snow, especially after winter and spring snowfalls, thereby enhancing the region's ability to withstand "white disaster." Establishing a shrub forage forest of four-winged saltbush is of great significance in areas with arid climates, low grassland production, and severe shortages of livestock feed. China currently faces a significant gap in feed supply. Statistics show that the annual demand for feed in China is about 200 million tons, but the total production is only around 74 million tons.
Four-winged Salsola seedlings grafted with Cistanche, yields are more than double those of Tamarix seedlings grafted with Cistanche, and the concentration of active ingredients is equivalent to over five times that of Tamarix.