Taro crops destroyed by encroaching saltwater at Lukunoch Atoll, Chuuk State, FSM. Giant swamp taro is a staple crop in Micronesia that requires a two- to three-year growing period from initial planting to harvest. After a saltwater inundation from a storm surge or very high tide, it may take two years of normal rainfall to flush brackish water from a taro patch, resulting in a five-year gap before the next harvest if no further saltwater intrusion takes place. (Photo credit: John Quidachay, USDA Forest Service).